BV  3625  .C6  L46  1922 
Lerrigo,  P.  H.  J.  1875-19581 
Rock-breakers 


ROCK-BREAKERS 

KINGDOM  BUILDING  IN  KONGO  LAND 


ROCK-BREAKERS 

KINGDOM  BUILDING  IN  KONGO  LAND 

( ^     ^— ^     ^ 
o                        '^      JUNf;  11922 
/    By  ^       .     __ 

P.  H.  J.  LERRIGO,  M.D.    '"^^^io^^^^^^^- 

Home  Secretary  of 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society 

Author  of 
"  The  Stature  of  a  Perfect  Man  " 


EDITED  BY 

THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 

OF  THE 

NORTHERN  BAPTIST  CONVENTION 

276  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York  City 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE    JUDSON     PRESS 

BOSTON  CHICAGO  ST.  LOUIS  LOS  ANGELES 

KANSAS  CITY  SEATTLE  TORONTO 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
GILBERT  N.  BRINK,  Secretary 


Published  May   1922 


Printed  in  U   S.  A. 


TO 

THE  CONGO  MISSIONARIES 

SIMPLE,   SINCERE 
INTREPID,  SPIRIT-FILLED 


KING  ALBERT'S  TESTIMONY  TO 
CONGO  MISSIONS 


Le  roi  Albert  resumait  son  appreciation  en  disant: 
"  L'oeuvre  des  missions  protestantes  au  Congo  est  une 
ceuvre  d'elite."  ^^^^^  ^^^^ 

King  Albert  summed  up  his  appreciation  by  say- 
ing, "  The  work  of  the  Protestant  missions  in  Congo 
is  a  very  choice  one." 

Sa  Majeste  prend  acte  volontiers  de  la  cooperation 
que  Ltd  promettent  les  missionaires  protestants  dans 
toutes  les  entreprises  du  Gouvernement  fendant  au 
bien  de  la  Colonic  et  de  ses  habitants.  Elle  n'attend 
pas  moins  de  leur  zele  et  de  leur  loyaute  car  Elle  con- 
serve, Elle  aiissi,  un  sympathique  souvenir  de  la  visite 
qu'Elle  a  faite  a  quelques-unes  de  leurs  stations  lors 
de  son  voyage  au  Congo. 

"  His  Majesty  gladly  recognizes  the  cooperation 
which  the  Protestant  missionaries  promise  him  in  all 
the  enterprises  of  the  Government  tending  to  the 
good  of  the  Colony  and  its  inhabitants.  He  expects 
no  less  of  their  loyalty  and  zeal  since  he  himself  pre- 
serves a  sympathetic  memory  of  the  visit  which  he 
made  to  some  of  their  stations  during  his  voyage  to 
the  Congo." 


FOREWORD 

This  Congo  book  is  full  of  charm  and  interest.  So 
many  who  have  visited  Africa  have  returned  as  though 
from  out  the  shadows,  that  it  is  refreshing  to  find 
Africa  to  be  a  land  not  devoid  of  sunshine,  song,  and 
hope. 

The  author's  picturesque  descriptions  of  the  natives 
are  vivid  and  colorful.  He  shows  us  how  the  native 
lives,  and  has  clearly  described  his  habits  and  charac- 
teristics. 

Doctor  Lerrigo  has  given  to  us  in  this  volume  a 
body  of  fascinating  stories  which  reflect  the  traits,  the 
customs,  and  the  religious  aspirations  of  these  wofully 
neglected  people.  He  shows  a  warm  and  sympathetic 
appreciation  of  the  toilings,  the  dreams,  and  the  trust- 
ing faith  of  these  people  of  Congo  Beige. 

We  are  greatly  indebted  to  the  author  for  the  heart- 
ening report  of  the  General  Conference  of  Protestant 
Missions  working  in  Congo.  Through  this  report  we 
are  in  possession  of  the  latest  information  on  the  suc- 
cess of  Christian  work  in  Congo  land. 

The  Department  of  Missionary  Education,  recognizing 
the  special  value  of  this  addition  to  its  current  educa- 
tional material,  recommends  this  book  for  use  in  the 
following  ways : 


Foreword 

1.  In  reading  contests  for  adults  and  young  people, 
and  in  fireside  reading-groups. 

2.  For  the  making  of  missionary  programs  for  pro- 
gram meetings  in  local  church  groups. 

3.  As  a  book  for  the  background  study  of  the  Ameri- 
can Negro  whose  ancestors  emigrated  from  Congo 
land. 

4.  For  special  mission-study  class  work. 

As  an  aid  to  the  study-class  use  of  this  book  a  suit- 
able outline  of  suggestions  has  been  prepared  and  may 
be  found  at  the  back  of  the  text. 

William  A.  Hill, 
Secretary  of  Missionary  Education. 

Note.  The  pictures  in  this  book  are  from  photographs 
by  Dr.  W.  H.  Leslie,  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  Rev.  P.  C. 
Metzger,  and  Dr.  Catherine  Mabie,  to  whom  the  author 
and  the  publishers  are  indebted  for  kind  permission  to 
make  use  of  them. 


CONTENTS 

CUAPTBR  PACB 

I.  "  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  " 1 

II,  Creating  a  Station 31 

III.  Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers 53 

IV.  The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives 75 

V.  The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo 103 

VI.  Molding  Men  129 

VII.  Rival  Practitioners 153 

VIII.  The    General    Conference    and    Congo's 

Bitter  Cry 169 

SUGGESTI@NS  F®R  USE  OF  THIS  BoOK  IN  ClASS 

Studies  and  Program  Meetings 199 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

First  Baptism  Among  New  People Frontispiece 

The  Reine  Elisabeth,  Congo  River 8 

Railroad  Coach,  Congo  River 8 

Native  Dance  36 

Putting  Thatch  Roof  on  the  Chapel,  Vanga 44 

Vanga  Schoolboys  Taking  a  Sivim 44 

A  Mask  from  the  Upper  Congo 56 

Bayaka  Dance  of  the  Nkanda.  Initiation  into  Man- 
hood    62 

Musical  Instruments  72 

Two  Chiefs  with  their  Counselors  in  Bansa  Manteke 

District 80 

Boys  Milking,  Tshtimbiri 88 

Girls  Carrying  Wood,  Tshtimbiri 88 

Bansa  Manteke,  Time  of  Big  Revival 106 

Rev.  P.  C.  Metsger  and  Mrs.  Metcger 120 

Mr.  Metsger  and  Students 120 

Building  Boys'  Dormitory,  Tshumbiri 132 

Making  Bricks,  Tshumbiri 132 

A  Woman  with  Basket 136 

Mondange,  a  Deacon,  ivith  Family,  Tshumbiri  ....  136 

Mission  House  at  Ntondo 144 

Primary  Practise  School,  Kimpese 150 

Primary  Practise  School,  Kimpese 150 

Lulanga  Mission  Boat,  Upper  River 160 

Christian  Women  Selling  Produce 174 

Chair  and  Scepter  of  Bakongo  Chief 180 

Spring  at  Coffee  Plantation 186 


I 


"  OVER  THE  HILLS  AND 
FAR  AWAY  " 


"  Before  the  dawn  of  history  and  even  during  its  early  morn 
Africa  stood  for  mystery  and  symbolism  in  religious  thought. 
The  very  name  has  by  a  fanciful  etymology  been  fantastically 
interpreted  as  meaning  sealed,  secret,  or  separated. 

"  A  '  scholar '  even  suggests  that  the  three  Hebrew  consonants, 
Aleph,  Pe,  and  Resh  (which  appear  in  Ophir  as  O,  Ph  (F),  and 
R),  compose  the  Shemitic  root  Ophr  or  Afr,  to  which  was  after- 
ward added  the  Latin  ending  ica.    Hence  '  Africa ' !  " 

— Frederick  Perry  Noble. 


"OVER  THE  HILLS  AND  FAR  AWAY" 


"  Give  a  dog  a  bad  name  and  hang  him."  Matadi 
has  a  bad  name ;  so  indeed  has  Congo  as  a  whole. 
Perhaps  Matadi  deserves  its  evil  reputation  more  than 
other  parts  of  the  great  equatorial  territory,  but  even 
such  a  "  bad  dog  "  as  Matadi  ought  not  to  be  hung  out 
of  hand.  The  day  when  the  expression  "  white  man's 
grave  "  was  properly  applicable  to  Congo  has  passed. 
Matadi  is  hot,  but  not  so  hot  as  New  York  in  July; 
Matadi  is  wet  at  times,  but  not  so  wet  as  Louisiana; 
Matadi  has  malaria,  but  less  than  certain  parts  of 
Italy.  Matadi  is  a  rock  and  casts  back  the  pitiless 
glare  of  the  tropical  noonday  sun,  but  Matadi's  sun 
declines  and  the  cool  breeze  sweeps  up  the  river,  sweet 
and  refreshing;  while  at  night  Matadi  lies  quiet  and 
relaxed,  safe  from  the  oppressive  heat  until  another 
sun  shall  steal  up  behind  the  eastern  hills. 

Matadi  means  "  rock,"  and  it  is  well  named,  for  it 
is  built  on  the  slope  of  a  rocky  mountain  at  a  turn  in 
the  great  Congo  River.  All  about  it  are  other  stony 
hills,  and  the  same  formation  extends  up  through  the 
lower  Congo  well  nigh  as  far  as  Stanley  Pool. 

Bula  Matadi  was  Stanley's  native  name.  He  em- 
ployed giant  powder  to  blast  the  rocks  of  the  hillside 
for  the  making  of  roads,  so  they  dubbed  him  Bula 
Matadi — the  Rock-breaker.  From  Stanley's  time  the 
term  has  been  in  use  to  distinguish  any  Government 
official,  and  is  applied  also  to  the  State  itself.  The 
rowers  on  the  Uele  sang  a  little  song,  after  their  com- 

3 


Rock-Breakers 


mon  fashion,  to  accompany  the  movement  of  the 
paddles.  Governor  Lippens,  the  new  Executive  of 
Congo  Beige,  was  visiting  the  section.     The  song  ran : 

Bula  Matadi  is  with  us  today; 

He's  happy,  he's  happy; 
He  has  brought  his  little  daughter 
with  the  long  hair  to  stay; 

He's  happy,  he's  happy. 

Stanley  was  an  explorer  and  state-builder;  he  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  Congo  Free  State,  now  Congo 
Beige,  and  broke  his  way  through  native  opposition 
and  material  obstacles.  But  Stanley  was  not  the  only 
rock-breaker.  He  has  been  followed  by  an  army  of 
men  with  the  Rock  of  Ages  in  their  heart,  and  upon 
their  lips  the  message  of  the  Breaker  of  stony  hearts. 

Vivi,  across  the  river  on  a  hilltop,  was  Stanley's 
base.  Matadi  itself  became  the  base  for  missionary 
operations  and  afterward  the  port  of  entry  for  Congo 
Beige.  It  was  from  Matadi  that  the  old  caravan  road 
stretched  away  over  the  rocky  hills,  past  Palabala  and 
Banza  Manteke  to  Lukunga  and,  after  a  break  and 
change  of  carriers,  on  from  that  point  to  Leopoldville 
or  Stanley  Pool.  Since  those  days  the  little  narrow- 
gauge  railway  has  been  built,  but  at  that  time  the 
caravan  road  leading  "  over  the  hills  and  far-away  " 
was  the  line  of  communication  between  the  coast  and 
the  upper  river.  It  was  over  this  route  that  all  freight 
was  conveyed  upon  the  heads  of  native  porters  for 
transshipment  by  the  river  boats  into  the  interior. 
Between  Stanley  Pool  and  Matadi  the  smooth  course 
of  the  river  is  interrupted  by  numerous  rapids  which 
add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  its  scenery  but  render  it 
impassable,   hence  even  the   steamboats   for  the  upper 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  " 


river  had  to  be  carried  piecemeal  over  the  heart-breaking 
trail. 

This  caravan  route  was  the  main  road  of  missionary- 
endeavor.  Even  yet  the  missionaries  take  countless 
steps  over  it  each  year,  for  it  leads  through  sections 
untouched  by  the  railroad,  and  supplements  the  latter 
in  giving  access  to  the  entire  region  of  lower  Congo. 
The  writer's  journey  throughout  this  section  was  ac- 
complished partly  by  means  of  the  railroad  and  partly 
over  this  and  other  trails. 

The  little  railway  makes  one  laugh.  It  is  of  a  nar- 
row gauge,  about  two  feet  wide,  and  recalls  the  little 
toy  lines  of  America's  amusement  parks.  But  the  pas- 
senger finds  that  riding  upon  it  is  no  joke,  for  it  winds 
and  winds  interminably  up  and  down  the  hillsides, 
along  the  tumbling  watercourse,  over  ravines  and 
gullies,  with  grades  so  steep  that  heavier  equipment 
might  find  them  impracticable.  The  cars  are  of  three 
classes  which  are  called  first,  second,  and  third,  but  might 
be  classified  poor,  poorer,  poorest.  The  first-class  cars 
are  upholstered  in  leather  and  are  very  exclusive,  for  but 
few  people  ride  in  them.  The  second-class  cars  are  the 
common  mode  of  travel  for  whites.  They  have  swivel- 
chairs,  much  the  worse  for  wear  and  afflicted  for  the  most 
part  with  a  permanent  list  to  the  starboard,  imparting 
an  appearance  of  sprightly  dissipation.  The  third-class 
cars  are  open  to  heaven's  free  air.  for  which  one  is 
devoutly  thankful.  They  are  a  little  like  American  cattle- 
cars  in  appearance,  but  have  wooden  seats  facing  each 
other,  built  to  accommodate  four.  This  is  the  democratic 
car,  and  one  mingles  freely  with  one's  fellow  beings  in 
it.  Indeed  they  sometimes  crowd  upon  one's  corns  and 
invade  one's  personal  liberty  by  insisting  on  climbing 
into  it  far  beyond  its  normal  capacity. 

B 


Rock-Breakers 


My  first  acquaintance  with  the  railway  was  made 
via  a  third-class  car  inasmuch  as  no  other  cars  were 
carried  by  the  train  on  the  day  I  embarked  for  Songo- 
lolo.  The  train  starts  from  Matadi  in  the  calm  fresh- 
ness of  the  early  Congo  day,  not  later  than  6.30.  Rid- 
ing al  fresco  up  the  declivity  of  the  hillsides  at  first 
along  the  margin  of  the  Congo  River,  afterwards  turn- 
ing up  the  course  of  the  turbulent  Mpozo,  the  real 
beauty  of  Congo  scenery  is  immediately  unfolded.  A 
narrow  ledge  cut  into  the  hillside  carries  the  line,  the 
broad  river  sweeps  majestically  alongside,  forming 
what  seems  to  be  a  series  of  landlocked  lakes  on  ac- 
count of  its  width  and  the  hills  which  apparently  block 
its  channel  but  give  place  at  every  bend  in  the  river 
to  new  reaches  of  the  swift-flowing  stream.  A  mile  or 
two  from  Matadi  the  Mpozo  tumbles  incontinently  into 
the  main  river,  and  the  train  turns  up  its  course  wend- 
ing its  way  like  a  tight-rope  walker,  sometimes  over 
the  stream  on  iron  bridges,  sometimes  along  the  edge 
of  its  swirling  and  eddying  current  below.  The  stream 
drops  rapidly,  making  cascades  and  rapids  at  every 
turn,  and  the  train  in  like  manner  must  needs  ascend 
at  the  same  rate.  After  some  miles  of  this  sort  of 
thing  the  railway  leaves  the  stream  and  starts  in  a 
general  northeasterly  direction  across  the  hills  and 
plains. 
P  Three  companions  shared  the  car  with  me;  all 
\,"  black,  but  comely,"  for  they  were  young  lads  fluent 
of  speech  and  with  a  cheerful  outlook  upon  life.  It 
was  upon  this  occasion  that  I  had  my  first  side-light 
upon  missionary  results  in  Congo,  for  before  long  one 
of  the  young  men  commenced  to  whistle,  and  later 
they  broke  into  song,  enlivening  the  whole  of  the 
journey  with  their  music.     The  words  were  of  course 


Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away 


Congolese  and  to  me  unintelligible,  but  it  was  a  great 
gratification  to  be  able  to  recognize  one  after  another 
of  the  great  hymns  of  the  church.  I  discovered  that 
the  lads  knew  a  little  French  and  learned  that  they  had 
all  been  trained  upon  mission  stations.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  it  began  to  dawn  upon  me  that  evangelical 
missions  have  put  an  indelible  stamp  upon  lower 
Congo. 

On  the  whole  my  impressions  of  the  little  railway 
were  very  pleasant.  The  day  was  cloudy  and  cool. 
We  stopped  at  way  stations  every  few  kilometers  to 
permit  the  thirsty  little  monster  at  our  head  to  drink. 
This  gave  us  the  opportunity  to  get  down  from  the  car 
and  examine  the  primitive  little  railway-stations.  The 
station-masters  proved  gregarious  beings,  and  our 
French  being  equally  rudimentary  we  got  along  very 
well  with  each  other. 

The  journey  to  Songololo  was  accomplished  by 
about  noon,  but  perhaps  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to 
add  at  this  time  impressions  of  the  railway  gained 
upon  subsequent  journeys. 

It  was  upon  a  similar  journey  from  Kimpese  to 
Thysville  that  darkness  overtook  us.  We  should  have 
arrived  about  six  o'clock,  but  the  train  was,  as  usual, 
several  hours  late.  Dusk  rapidly  deepened  into  the 
sudden  equatorial  night.  The  moon  was  not  due  until 
late,  hence  the  night  was  very  dark.  The  little  engine 
struggling  upward  on  the  steep  grade  toward  Thys- 
ville commenced  to  emit  showers  of  sparks,  for  she 
was  burning  wood  instead  of  the  usual  briquettes  of 
coal.  They  punctuated  the  blackness  of  the  night  like 
a  myriad  of  shooting-stars — chains  of  golden  sparks 
spangling  the  velvet  darkness,  flying  briskly  to  the 
rear  and  fading  into  the  night,  their  places  to  be  taken 


8  Rock-Breakers 


by  a  new  shower  with  every  labored  breath  of  the 
engine.  I  watched  them  with  a  good  deal  of  pleasure 
until  one  of  the  burning  particles  alighted  upon  my 
forehead  and  others  on  my  clothes.  Then  I  hurriedly 
changed  my  seat.  With  the  increased  efifort  required 
by  the  upgrade  the  flying  sparks  became  innumerable, 
and  it  took  constant  vigilance  to  preserve  one's  cloth- 
ing from  being  burned.  They  fell  on  every  side,  even 
insinuating  themselves  between  the  cracks  in  the  roof 
of  the  car.  Occasionally  the  grass  by  the  roadside 
would  be  kindled.  Not  infrequently  serious  damage  is 
done.  Recently  the  baggage-car  of  the  train  itself  was 
ignited  and  all  the  baggage  consumed. 

One  other  experience  of  the  little  railway  is  worthy 
of  narration.  I  was  traveling  with  Mr.  Clark  from 
Thysville  to  Sona  Bata.  As  usual  no  car  was  avail- 
able except  third  class.  Several  negro  men  and  one 
woman  already  occupied  the  section  when  we  entered. 
We  secured  seats  and  were  perfectly  satisfied  to  take 
it  for  granted  that  the  compartment  might  now  be  con- 
sidered full.  Not  so  the  traveling  public,  however. 
The  compartment  was  built  for  eight  rather  slender 
people,  four  to  be  seated  on  each  side  facing  each  other 
across  a  meager  space  left  for  the  lower  extremities  of 
the  group.  A  good  many  people  were  apparently  go- 
ing in  the  same  direction  as  were  we,  and  they  piled 
in  until  the  compartment  contained  ten  of  us  besides 
thirteen  pieces  of  baggage,  including  boxes,  trunks, 
bags,  and  bundles,  seven  live  chickens,  two  bales  of 
produce  comprising  bananas,  manioc,  and  cabbage,  and 
to  cap  the  climax  a  fine  fat  fish.  At  a  later  station  the 
car  was  besieged  with  an  army  of  others  who  desired 
to  enter.  One  little  black  woman  wrapped  in  a  meager 
piece  of  purple  cloth  and  with  a  round-headed,  beady- 


THE  REINE  ELIZABETH 
Congo  River 


RAILROAD  COACH 

Congo  River 


Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  " 


eyed  baby  strapped  upon  her  back,  undertook  to  climb 
over  Mr.  Clark's  shoulder  and  nearly  sat  on  his  head 
in  an  effort  to  land  in  our  midst  where  she  had  appar- 
ently conceived  that  she  might  find  comfortable  lodg- 
ment. She  got  stuck  half-way  over,  and  the  baby 
bobbed  around  on  Mr.  Clark's  devoted  head.  The  only 
place  the  lady  could  possibly  have  seated  herself  would 
have  been  upon  one  of  our  laps,  and  so  we  gently 
replaced  her  in  the  compartment  from  which  she  had 
come.  She  stood  upon  the  edge  of  the  seat  behind 
and  wept  aloud,  maintaining  that  no  one  would  give 
her  a  seat  and  that  some  one  had  stolen  her  bundle 
of  food.  Finally  the  conductor  was  constrained  to 
permit  her  to  occupy  his  space,  while  he  took  up  an 
uncomfortable  position  in  the  crowded  aisle.  We 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  was  a  case  of  the 
perseverance  of  the  saints,  as  we  discovered  later  that 
she  belonged  to  the  flock  at  Sona  Bata  and  was  on 
her  way  to  the  annual  gathering. 

Leaving  the  train  at  Songololo,  the  journey  led  over 
the  hills  on  foot  and  by  push-car.  The  latter  is  a  one- 
wheeled  machine  containing  a  comfortable  spring  seat, 
like  a  sublimated  wheelbarrow.  It  is  handled  by  two 
men,  one  pulling  and  the  other  pushing.  The  ethics 
of  the  use  of  the  "  push-push  "  must  be  carefully  ob- 
served lest  the  wheelmen  administer  a  gentle  admoni- 
tion. One  does  not  ride  when  going  up-hill  out  of 
consideration  for  the  carriers,  nor  down-hill  out  of 
consideration  for  one's  own  safety,  and  as  it  frequently 
seems  that  the  path  contains  nothing  but  hills,  one 
does  little  riding.  However,  occasionally  one  comes 
to  a  broad  sweep  of  nzanza  or  plain  and  there  will  be 
a  long  stretch  of  level  path.  Needless  to  say  such 
stretches  are  not  popular  with  the  carriers.     They  are 


10  Rock-Breakers 


like  little  children.  The  following  conversation  took 
place  between  Mrs,  Hill  and  her  carriers : 

"  Oh,  mamma,  this  is  a  very  bad  path." 

"  Why  no,  Paulo,  it  is  a  good  path ;  smooth,  straight 
and  level." 

"  Oh  yes,  mamma,  it  is  a  good  path  for  you  but  a 
very  bad  path  for  us." 

"  Why  don't  you  like  the  path,  Paulo?  " 

"  There  are  no  hills,  mamma.  When  there  are 
hills  you  get  off  and  walk,  and  besides  we  like  hills 
anyway  for  we  do  not  get  so  tired." 

The  carriers'  philosophy  may  be  open  to  question, 
but  after  all  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  their 
preference  for  hills  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
effort  is  differently  distributed  among  the  muscles 
upon  the  hills  than  when  traveling  upon  the  plains. 
The  flexors  bear  the  chief  strain  going  up  and  the 
extensors  coming  down.  Besides  the  carriers  suffer 
from  monotony  on  the  plain.  There  is  no  question 
but  that  "  the  hill  difficulty  "  brings  interest,  diversion, 
and  development.  Moreover  it  calls  out  the  auxiliary 
forces,  deepens  respiration,  and  enlarges  the  capacity 
of  the  chest. 

The  interminable  hills  over  which  one  travels  are 
for  the  most  part  stony  and  unsuitable  for  cultiva- 
tion. The  word  matadi  (rocky)  is  continually  upon 
the  carrier's  lips.  The  stones  are  hard,  rounded, 
iron-bearing  pebbles  of  a  prevailing  red  hue.  They 
roll  beneath  the  shoes  and  are  unpleasant  to  the  cal- 
loused feet  of  the  porters.  The  paths  wind  in  and  out 
through  valleys  and  over  the  summits  of  the  moun- 
tains. The  native  pioneer  who  first  beats  out  the  trail 
bates  not  one  jot  of  the  steep  ascent.  Often  when  a 
smoother  way  around  might  easily  have  been  found. 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  11 

the  path  leads  onward  and  upward  over  the  very  crest 
of  the  hill.  The  tortuosity  of  the  trail  is  accounted  for 
by  the  fact  that  the  native  never  removes  an  obstacle 
from  the  path.  "  Where  the  tree  falleth,  there  shall  it 
lie,"  and  though  a  thousand  pass  that  way  the  obstacle 
remains,  and  the  beaten  path  acquires  additional  sinu- 
osity as  the  foot  of  the  traveler  passes  around  the 
obstruction. 

The  African  traveler  today  has  learned  the  limita- 
tions of  wisdom  as  regards  travel,  which  doubtless 
accounts  in  a  large  degree  for  his  relative  longevity. 
He  equips  himself  for  the  journey  with  proper  cloth- 
ing, a  cot  and  mosquito-netting,  a  water-bottle,  a  sup- 
ply of  good  food  and  utensils  to  cook  it,  a  table,  a  chair, 
and  a  tent  if  the  season  is  wet.  His  push-car  lightens 
the  journey  and  the  day's  travel  does  not  usually  ex- 
tend beyond  seven  hours.  He  starts  in  the  early 
morning  soon  after  it  is  light,  and  when  the  sun  climbs 
the  sky  he  halts  for  the  midday  meal  and  rests  under 
the  shade  of  the  trees  by  the  riverside,  in  the  shelter  of 
the  tall  grass,  or  in  a  native  village.  When  the 
worst  heat  of  the  day  is  beginning  to  pass  he  resumes 
the  path,  and  camps  at  nightfall. 

In  the  dry  season  a  camping-ground  is  sought  on 
the  top  of  one  of  the  wind-swept  hills  not  too  far  from 
water.  There  is  a  certain  exhilaration  in  thus  seeking 
one's  rest  under  God's  calm  heavens.  The  nights  are 
invariably  cool.  On  one  such  occasion  no  suitable 
clearing  could  be  found,  and  we  stretched  the  camp 
along  the  path,  erecting  our  cots  parallel  with  the  trail, 
lighting  our  fire  at  one  end  and  setting  up  the  table 
for  supper  in  the  middle.  What  with  our  own  para- 
phernalia and  the  camp  of  the  carriers,  we  occupied  a 
section  of  the  road  a  hundred  yards  or  more  long.     It 


12  Rock-Breakers 


had  been  a  burning  hot  day  contrary  to  custom,  for 
at  this  season  of  the  year  the  sky  is  uniformly  overcast 
and  it  is  quite  cool,  though  it  does  not  rain.  The  sun 
sank  like  a  globe  of  molten  copper,  plunging  below  the 
horizon  like  an  artificial  sun  in  a  mechanical  picture. 
The  cool  breeze  laden  with  the  pungent  tang  of  the  / 

burnt  grass  blew  over  the  hill.  The  night  was  bright 
with  the  radiance  of  a  half  moon,  and  we  could  look 
up  through  the  mosquito-netting  to  the  wonderful 
canopy  of  the  star-studded  sky.  The  breeze  rustled 
the  tall  grass  about  us  and  we  could  hear  the  whistle 
of  the  bats  in  the  woods.  The  men  were  singing 
hymns  about  the  fire.  One  could  recognize  an  occasional 
strain,  but  these  men  are  from  the  villages,  and  they  alter 
the  hymns  beyond  recognition,  frequently  giving  them  a 
plaintive  minor  strain.  The  glow  of  the  firelight  and 
the  flickering  shadows,  together  with  the  stillness  of 
night  falling  upon  the  nsanza,  induced  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  and  we  were  not  surprised  to  hear  presently  a 
steady  murmur  from  the  firelight  in  reverent  and  be- 
seeching tones  as  one  of  the  men  led  his  fellows  to  the 
Throne  of  Grace. 

The  way  frequently  leads  through  native  villages, 
and  at  times  it  is  found  convenient  to  remain  over- 
night in  one  of  them.  Such  a  halt  was  made  at  Kiaba 
en  route  from  Banza  Manteke  to  Lukunga.  It  is  a 
fair-sized  village,  having  a  hundred  or  more  houses. 
The  caravan  halted  at  a  house  near  the  middle  of  the 
village.  It  was  built  of  wood,  had  a  good  thatch  and 
a  front  porch,  and  was  two  stories  in  height.  Up- 
stairs were  two  good  rooms,  a  large  table,  a  comfort- 
able chair,  and  a  wooden  bed  with  a  good  mosquito- 
netting.  On  the  front  wall  was  written  with  chalk  in 
well-formed  letters: 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  13 

Nzo  yi  ya  nlongi  Davidi  Zalema 
A.  B.  F.  M.  S. 

This  is  the  house  of  the  teacher  David  Zalema 
A.  B.  F.  M.  S. 

David  was  very  glad  to  see  us  and  ruthlessly  cleared 
his  entire  family  out  of  the  upper  part  of  his  house  so 
that  we  might  occupy  it.  The  large  table  was  put  out 
upon  the  porch,  and  David  produced  a  brilliant  red- 
and-yellow  cloth  from  a  secret  receptacle. 

While  supper  was  being  prepared  we  held  a  meeting 
in  the  combined  schoolhouse  and  church,  a  fair-sized 
thatched  bamboo  building.  The  lanterns  gave  a  dim 
uncertain  light,  and  David  led  the  assembled  company 
in  vociferous  song.  There  were  men,  women,  and  many 
children  seated  closely  together  upon  the  floor.  In  the 
daytime  David  holds  school  in  the  building;  he  has  a 
blackboard,  a  few  slates,  and  several  first  readers. 
But  he  utilizes  also  portions  of  Scripture  and  the 
hymn-book,  so  the  young  people  receive  secular  and 
religious  education  together.  His  possibilities  as  a 
teacher  do  not  go  beyond  simple  reading  and  the  more 
elementary  arithmetical  processes,  but  he  starts  the 
boys  and  girls  upon  the  right  road,  and  some  of  them 
go  later  to  the  station  boarding-school. 

I  slept  on  the  porch,  much  to  the  wonder  and  scan- 
dalization  of  David,  who  could  not  understand  any  one 
braving  the  night  air  when  he  might  have  been  inside. 
We  passed  a  troubled  night,  for  besides  the  many 
pigs  which  were  rambling  and  grunting  beneath  us, 
there  was  a  poor  woman  in  a  neighboring  house  suffer- 
ing from  sleeping  sickness  who  groaned  the  night 
through.  David's  house  is  a  fair  indication  of  what 
the  gospel  will  do  for  the  African.     Twenty-five  years 


14  Rock-Breakers 


ago  the  average  house  was  very  small,  too  low  to  per- 
mit one  to  stand  upright,  with  a  door  perhaps  eighteen 
inches  wide  and  no  window.  Their  possessions  were 
few  and  primitive.  David's  house  is  of  course  better 
than  the  ordinary  dwelling  even  now,  as  he  has  had 
larger  opportunities  in  education  and  contact  with  the 
white  man  than  most  of  his  fellows,  but  almost  all  the 
houses  are  much  larger  than  formerly.  Not  a  few  are 
made  of  boards  and  contain  articles  of  furniture  such 
as  beds,  tables,  and  chairs.  Moreover,  they  have 
learned  the  use  of  soap.  The  wearing  of  clothing  re- 
quires the  addition  of  chairs  to  the  house  furnishing,  in 
order  to  keep  the  clothes  clean,  and  soap  becomes 
equally  necessary  to  wash  them  when  they  become 
dirty. 

We  usually  found  it  desirable  to  rise  before  five 
while  on  the  road  so  that  breakfast  might  be  cooked 
and  disposed  of,  and  everything  prepared  ready  to 
start  shortly  after  daylight. 

At  times  our  way  led  through  the  long  grass  for 
hours.  The  path  was  often  narrow,  and  traveling  be- 
came difficult.  It  was  necessary  to  part  the  tangled 
grass  and  push  it  away  with  the  hands.  The  nsanza 
grass  is  somewhat  shorter  than  the  very  tall  grass  of 
the  river  bottoms,  but  it  is  very  rough  and  has  sharp, 
cutting  edges  which  scarify  the  incautious  hand  like  a 
knife.  It  was  the  season  for  burning  the  grass,  but 
when  it  is  very  green  it  does  not  burn  well.  The 
leaves  flame  off,  leaving  the  harsh,  blackened  stem 
which  has  resisted  the  fire.  We  walked  through  many 
miles  of  this  partially  burned  grass  and  emerged  well- 
nigh  as  black  as  the  carriers.  The  fine  ash  sifted 
through  the  meshes  of  our  clothing  and  made  Ethi- 
opians of  us. 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  15 

After  the  heat  of  the  sun  it  was  always  a  grateful 
change  to  pass  from  the  more  exposed  footpaths  into  a 
stretch  of  woods.  The  prolific  soil  lends  itself  to 
prodigal  growth,  and  the  underbrush  of  the  forests  is 
very  dense.  There  are  palm  trees,  fronded  plants, 
giant  baobabs,  mahogany,  and  ironwood.  Rattans 
twine  about  the  larger  trunks  and  branches.  Great 
creepers  twist  upon  themselves  to  form  tough  cables 
reaching  from  tree  to  tree  and  from  the  higher  branches 
to  the  ground. 

The  larger  rivers  are  crossed  by  canoes,  but  stepping- 
stones  or  a  fallen  tree  serve  to  carry  one  over  small 
streams.  We  crossed  several  native  suspension 
bridges.  They  are  very  cleverly  constructed  of  palm 
poles  and  creepers.  The  tough  rattan  fiber  is  used  for 
this  purpose.  The  bridge  swings  between  two  large 
trees.  An  approach  is  made  by  means  of  a  rough 
ladder  leading  to  a  fork  in  the  tree.  The  bridge  leads 
over  the  fork  and  across  the  stream  to  a  similar  fork 
in  the  tree  on  the  opposite  bank,  where  there  is  also  a 
ladder  leading  to  the  ground  by  a  gentle  incline.  The 
bridge  itself  is  made  of  wooden  stringers  bound  to- 
gether tightly  by  rattan.  An  intricate  network  of 
creepers  on  either  side  forms  a  bulwark  as  high  as 
needful,  and  guys  of  rattan  lead  out  to  adjacent  trees 
and  to  the  branches  above  to  steady  the  whole  struc- 
ture. It  is  capable  of  bearing  considerable  weight, 
and  the  carriers  cross  it  fearlessly  with  their  heavy 
loads. 

In  one  of  the  villages  through  which  we  passed  the 
people  had  recently  killed  a  wild  pig.  The  hind  quar- 
ters still  remained,  and  our  carriers  were  very  anxious 
that  we  should  buy  it  for  them,  Mr.  Hill  refused  to 
do  so  as  the  price  was  too  high.     This  caused  much 


16  Rock-Breakers 

lamentation  among  the  men  as  they  are  fond  of  meat. 
Even  the  next  day  they  had  not  forgotten  it  and  tried 
to  work  upon  our  sympathies.  I  could  distinguish  the 
repetition  of  the  word  bisa  in  their  conversation.  Mrs. 
Hill  translated  later.  The  men  would  heave  an  occa- 
sional sigh  as  they  pulled  the  car : 

"  Oh  mamma,  mamma,  the  meat,  the  meat." 

And  again  when  we  supposed  it  had  been  forgotten 
they  would  break  out : 

"  The  meat,  mamma,  we  left  it  behind." 

Still  later: 

"  The  meat,  mamma,  did  you  hear  the  smell  of  the 
meat?" 

"  Oh,  mamma,  mamma,  the  meat  is  not  with  us.  If 
you  had  bought  the  meat  our  legs  would  have  been 
strong  to  pull,  but  now  we  are  weak." 

Finally  Mrs.  Hill  tired  of  the  meat  and  said  to  them, 
"  Which  do  you  think  is  best,  the  meat  you  wanted, 
or  the  Word  of  God  we  came  to  bring  you?  " 

Silence  for  a  time,  and  then  the  burly  black  on  the 
front  of  the  car  responds :  "  Oh  mamma,  the  Word  of 
God  is  best.  We  will  forget  the  meat  and  say  no  more 
about  it."  And  that  was  the  last  we  heard  of  the 
meat. 

Wild  animals  are  still  fairly  abundant,  and  we  saw 
not  a  few  on  our  way  between  the  villages.  A  herd  of 
wild  buffalo,  eight  in  number,  were  grazing  quietly 
upon  the  plain  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
trail.  Upon  getting  wind  of  us  they  raised  their  heads 
with  a  sudden  toss,  ran  a  score  of  yards  or  more,  turned 
and  gazed  at  us,  stamping  their  feet  in  annoyance,  and 
then  making  swiftly  for  the  tall  grass.  In  the  early 
hours  immediately  after  dawn  one  may  often  see  deer 
of  various  kinds,  a  reddish  animal  which  the  natives 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  17 

call  nsono,  a  gray  antelope  called  nkaye,  and  a  larger 
deer  with  gracefully  curved  horns  known  as  vilangi. 

Animal  trails  are  visible  in  every  direction  upon  the 
hillsides.  There  are  the  well-trodden  paths  made  by  the 
buffalo  traveling  in  herds,  the  cloven  mark  of  the  deer 
footprint,  the  shallow  channel  of  the  python's  trail  as  he 
makes  his  way  to  his  lair  in  the  marsh  grass,  while  the 
elephant's  mark  is  the  indiscriminate  trampling  of  the  tall 
grass  and  the  circular  outline  of  his  great  hoof.  A 
marked  feature  of  the  lower  Congo  hillside  is  the  in- 
numerable small  hills  of  the  white  ant.  They  become 
very  hard  and  are  mushroom-shaped.  The  carriers  often 
utilize  them  as  stools  upon  which  to  sit  as  they  gather 
around  the  camp-fire. 

Health  conditions  in  lower  Congo  are  considerably 
modified  by  the  increasing  altitude.  Leaving  Matadi  one 
ascends  steadily  until  Thysville  is  reached.  This  point  is 
a  little  more  than  half-way  to  Stanley  Pool  and  is  2,500 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  fairly  cool  the  year 
round  and  is  wrapped  in  mist  a  good  part  of  the  time. 
The  railway  descends  gradually  from  this  point  to  Kin- 
shasa, which  is  the  rail-head  and  point  of  departure  for 
river  traffic,  but  even  the  latter  is  a  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea  level. 

Almost  all  the  mission  stations  in  lower  Congo  have 
a  fair  altitude,  ranging  from  three  hundred  feet  up- 
ward. In  this  part  of  the  Congo  there  is  a  distinct 
dry  season  lasting  from  June  to  September  during 
which  one  can  count  with  almost  mathematical  cer- 
tainty upon  an  absence  of  rain.  One  would  suppose 
that  in  a  tropical  country  such  a  long  dry  season  would 
be  excessively  hot.  but  such  is  far  from  being  the  case. 
The  sun  is  uniformly  overcast  by  light  clouds,  and  the 
entire  period  is  cool  and  pleasant.     In  the  opinion  of 


18  Rock-Breakers 


the  white  residents  it  corresponds  to  winter  rather 
than  to  summer,  and  some  complain  that  it  is  often 
disagreeably  chilly.  I  have  heard  missionaries  say 
that  they  have  suffered  more  from  cold  in  Congo  than 
from  heat.  In  the  rainy  season  which  begins  toward 
the  end  of  September,  the  rains  are  very  heavy  but  are 
not  continuous.  They  last  for  a  few  hours  at  a  time, 
giving  place  to  brilliant  sunshine.  The  months  from 
January  to  March  constitute  the  disagreeable  part  of 
the  year  when  rain  and  heat  alternate.  The  altitude 
mitigates  the  excessive  heat  even  during  this  period, 
however.  At  Sona  Bata,  which  is  on  the  railroad  and 
has  an  altitude  of  about  1,600  feet,  it  is  necessary  to 
sleep  with  blankets  the  year  round. 

From  the  standpoint  of  travel  a  new  world  begins 
at  Kinshasa.  The  latter  is  perhaps  the  most  impor- 
tant town  in  Congo  Beige,  not  excepting  Boma  and 
Elizabethville.  It  is  practically  the  terminus  of  the 
railway  and  lies  at  the  southwestern  extremity  of 
Stanley  Pool.  From  this  point  6,000  miles  of  water- 
ways navigable  for  river  steamers  ramify  in  every 
direction  throughout  the  colony.  The  main  river,  with 
its  continuation,  the  Lualaba,  carries  the  passenger 
with  one  or  two  interruptions  2,000  miles  to  the  east 
and  south  almost  as  far  as  Elizabethville  in  the  ex- 
treme southeast  of  the  territory.  It  is  a  veritable 
mother  of  rivers.  It  has  gathered  its  power  from  giant 
tributaries  draining  millions  of  hectares,  tributaries 
which  themselves  might  serve  to  float  the  fleets  of 
nations.  It  has  given  riotous  welcome  to  streams 
Avhose  power  might  turn  all  the  mill-wheels  of  the 
world,  receiving  them  into  its  ample  bosom  as  though 
they  were  mere  rivulets.  It  has  spread  its  garments 
broadly  through  the  deep  valleys  of  its  course,  som^- 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  19 

times  narrowing  to  little  more  than  a  mile  in  width 
and  sometimes  spreading  to  cover  a  breadth  of  twenty 
miles  or  more,  but  still  maintaining  deep  and  strong 
currents  between  the  shallows.  It  is  difficult  to  form 
an  exaggerated  idea  of  the  strength  and  extent  of  this 
inland  system  of  waterways.  At  Tshumbiri  the  main 
river  is  about  two  miles  wide.  The  extreme  variation 
in  rise  and  fall  of  the  river  at  this  point  during  the 
different  seasons  is  twenty-four  feet.  This  will  give 
some  idea  of  the  volume  of  water  passing  through  the 
main  channels.  Even  the  tributaries  of  its  tributaries 
are  mighty  streams.  The  Kasai  flows  into  the  main 
river  through  the  Kwa,  which  is  its  expanded  mouth. 
Joining  it  a  few  miles  above  its  confluence  with  the 
main  river  is  the  Kwangu,  and  this  again  receives  as 
one  of  its  many  tributaries  the  Kwilu.  Following  the 
latter's  course  upward  for  many  miles  one  still  dis- 
covers it  to  be  as  broad  and  deep  as  the  Missouri  River 
at  Kansas  City. 

The  vessels  plying  upon  these  rivers  vary  very 
greatly  in  size  from  the  little  insignificant  steam-launch 
to  the  recently  built  American  steamer  Kigoma  of 
more  than  a  thousand  tons,  provided  with  electric 
lights,  refrigerating  plant,  adequate  plumbing,  and  all 
modern  conveniences. 

One's  fortune  more  often  takes  one,  however,  aboard 
the  vessels  of  the  more  modest  type.  Here  one  is  fur- 
nished with  a  cabin,  but  is  expected  to  provide  one's 
own  pillows,  blankets,  sheets,  wash-basin,  etc.  Should 
the  cabins  be  already  occupied,  one  has  the  privilege 
of  sleeping  on  the  deck  on  one's  own  traveling  cot, 
which  however  is  no  great  hardship  unless  a  heavy 
squall  comes  up  in  the  night,  in  which  case  one  may 
suffer  the  temporary  inconvenience  of  a  wetting. 


20  Rock-Breakers 


The  long  dry  season  enjoyed  by  the  lower  Congo 
region  does  not  occur  above  Kinshasa.  Rain  may 
occur  at  any  season  of  the  year.  It  is  more  common, 
however,  between  October  and  March.  The  storms 
on  the  river  are  sometimes  very  violent.  We  were 
traveling  on  the  S.  S.  Semois  up  the  main  river  toward 
Coquilhatville  when  such  a  storm  approached.  The 
Semois  is  one  of  the  larger  river  boats  and  had  a  long 
barge  tethered  at  each  side  to  receive  cargo.  These 
served  to  steady  the  vessel  and  rendered  it  a  good  deal 
safer  on  such  an  occasion.  Nevertheless  the  captain 
felt  it  wise  to  seek  shelter,  and  we  tied  up  in  the  lee 
of  one  of  the  innumerable  islands,  nosing  in  among 
the  rank  marsh  grass.  Dark  leaden  clouds  suddenly 
loomed  ahead  heavy  with  rain  and  wind.  The  barges 
presented  such  a  broad  expanse  to  the  wind  that  it 
would  have  been  impossible  in  any  case  to  make  head- 
way. The  storm  broke  upon  us  in  a  few  moments. 
Heavy,  driving  rain  misted  the  river  with  a  curtain  of 
moisture,  violent  gusts  of  wind  lashed  it  into  a  transi- 
tory anger,  while  the  great  drops  each  with  its  own 
vicious  thrust  stirred  thousands  of  dimpled  circles 
across  the  broad  water. 

After  a  time  the  storm  passes,  but  the  river  con- 
tinues in  one  of  its  gray  moods.  The  clouds  above  are 
broken' but  still  dull  and  somber.  The  far  shores  grow 
almost  black  in  the  fading  day,  while  the  nearer  greens 
have  lost  their  glints  of  light.  The  river  is  full  and 
sullen.  The  crowded  trees  and  brush  upon  its  banks 
and  islands  are  partly  submerged,  and  th-e  lower  limbs 
swim  in  the  deep  green  of  the  water.  Broken  boughs 
catch  the  current  as  it  passes  and  ripple  it  into  shim- 
mering lines.  The  whole  surface  of  the  stream  quavers 
under  the  dull  white  and  gray  of  the  clouded  sky ; 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  21 

patches  of  waveless  oily  peace  alternate  with  irregular 
stretches  of  rippled  surface.  Concentric  lines,  latticed 
network,  and  rippling  corrugations  vary  the  face  of 
the  great  stream  as  vary  its  hidden  currents  below. 
Every  instant  it  changes  its  visage,  weaving  new  pic- 
tures from  the  light  and  shadow  above. 

The  moods  of  the  river  are  innumerable.  It  is  pick- 
ing up  heart  of  grace  now.  The  prevailing  leaden  sky 
is  gradually  lightening  to  silvery  white.  A  gentle 
breeze  flecks  the  face  of  the  water  into  uniform  smiling 
ripples.  The  greens  grow  brighter  upon  the  bank  and 
mirror  themselves  more  vividly  in  the  shaded  margin 
of  the  stream.  A  tinge  of  blue  appears  through  the 
smoky  white  of  the  clouds,  and  the  river's  heaven  is 
evidently  about  to  smile.  The  shrubs  and  bushes  be- 
come tipped  with  vivid  spring,  and- here  and  there  may 
be  seen  the  brilliant  scarlet  of  new  leaves  bursting 
forth,  upon  the  summit  of  a  bush.  Broad  stretches  of 
marsh  grass  extend  along  the  banks  at  intervals. 
Occasionally  the  head  and  shoulders  of  men  or  women 
wielding  paddles  can  be  seen  above  the  reeds.  They 
present  dark  silho«ettes  like  the  shadows  of  manikins 
on  a  screen.  One  realizes  that  a  canoe  is  making  its 
difficult  way  along  some  narrow,  hidden  channel.  A 
few  ducks  skim  the  surface  of  the  marsh.  The  heron 
watches  for  its  prey  on  the  overgrown  islet  in  mid- 
stream, while  the  marabou  stalk  in  pairs  upon  the 
beach. 

The  captain  of  the  Semois  confided  the  care  of  the 
commissary  department  to  the  keeping  of  a  mysterious 
tall  individual  who.  never  appeared  himself  at  meals 
nor  mixed  with  the  other  passengers.  He  proved  to 
be  not  merely  an  "  autocrat  of  the  breakfast-table  "  but 
also  of  the  lunch-  and  dinner-table.  He  allowed  us 
c 


22  Rock-Breakers 


one  cup  of  coffee  and  one  lump  of  sugar  with  it.  Doc- 
tor Leslie  made  a  dignified  protest  to  the  head  waiter, 
but  met  with  a  gentle  but  firm  refusal.  More  vigorous 
representation  to  the  captain  elicited  several  water- 
logged sugar  lumps  from  the  hidden  recesses  of  the 
cupboard  but  accompanied  apparently  by  instructions 
that  this  indulgence  was  not  to  extend  to  the  other 
passengers.  The  following  morning  the  worm  (in  the 
form  of  one  of  our  French  fellow  passengers)  turned, 
and  not  only  let  loose  the  vials  of  his  Gallic  wrath 
upon  the  devoted  heads  of  the  entire  group  of  waiters, 
but  seizing  the  saucer  in  which  had  been  presented  one 
and  a  half  wobegone  oblongs  of  dubious  sweetness 
for  use  in  the  coffee  of  three  passengers  he  dashed 
furiously  from  the  dining-saloon  and  invaded  the 
sacred  precincts  of  the  captain's  bridge,  carrying  with 
him  the  damning  evidence  of  the  chef's  parsimony. 
"  Are  we  little  schoolboys,"  demanded  the  knight 
errant  of  the  sugar  strife,  "  that  we  cannot  be  trusted 
with  the  sugar  bowl?"  His  companion  explained  to 
us  that  the  French  temperament  is  excitable.  It  may 
readily  be  understood  that  upon  the  river  boats  the 
burning  question  of  the  day  is  whether  the  captain 
shall  "  chop  "  you  or  whether  you  shall  "  chop  "  your- 
selves. 

It  was  far  up  the  Kwilu  that  we  witnessed  an  inter- 
esting Congo  phenomenon — a  tropical  snowstorm,  or 
what  looked  very  like  it.  Following  the  sunrise  a 
storm  of  fluttering  white  butterflies  came  sailing  down 
the  river.  There  were  myriads  of  them,  filling  the  air 
like  snowflakes,  their  wings  softly  white  in  the  early 
morning  sun,  here  and  there  and  everywhere.  The 
tiny  ripples  in  the  water  elongated  their  mirrored 
images  and  multiplied  the  number  again.     It  is  their 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  23 

breeding  flight.  By  and  by  they  will  be  found  dead 
upon  the  water  miles  below. 

There  is  something  quite  fascinating  about  the 
moonlit  evening  on  the  river.  The  tropical  stars,  the 
majestic  moon  over  all,  the  smooth,  still  flow  of  the 
water,  the  deeper  shadows  under  the  bank  where  the 
trees  show  black  in  the  stream ;  the  ripples  of  light  on 
the  waves  as  they  flow  diagonally  back  from  the  bow ; 
the  barges  tethered  on  each  side  of  the  stream,  their 
flat  iron  tops  with  little  glowing  wood-fires — all  create 
an  atmosphere  of  charm  with  which  the  group  of  shin- 
ing black  bodies  in  the  dusk  about  the  fires  is  entirely 
consonant.  There  is  the  bitter  tang  of  the  wood 
smoke,  the  murmur  of  talk  in  native  tongues,  a  sudden 
laugh,  and  occasionally  there  will  come  a  cheerful 
irresponsible  bellow  from  below  as  one  of  the  men 
feels  the  need  for  giving  vent  to  his  feelings. 

The  schedules  of  the  river  steamers  are  very  uncer- 
tain quantities.  It  behooves  the  traveler  when  start- 
ing out  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency.  It  adds  a 
piquant  charm  to  life  to  realize  that  any  ordinary 
journey  may  bring  adventure  of  varied  and  interesting 
character.  When  the  group  of  American  Baptist  mis- 
sionaries left  Bolenge  to  go  into  Lake  Ntumba  for 
their  conference  at  Ntondo,  the  Disciples'  Mission  was 
kind  enough  to  place  at  its  disposal  its  mission  steamer 
Oregon  for  the  brief  journey.  The  weather  was 
very  wet.  The  captain's  cabin  had  been  assigned  to 
Doctor  Leslie  and  myself.  It  leaked  like  a  sieve. 
Little  trickles  of  water  from  the  roof  found  first  my 
right  ear,  then  my  occiput,  then  the  lumbar  region, 
then  my  feet,  and  afterward  the  attack  became  general. 
I  squirmed  from  place  to  place  endeavoring  to  con- 
tract my  anatomy  to  the  narrowing  dimensions  of  the 


24  Rock-Breakers 


habitable  portions  of  my  cot.  Finally  there  was  only 
a  small  dry  spot  left,  and  I  sat  up  Indian  fashion  with 
a  cotton  blanket  about  me  and  communed  with  Doctor 
Leslie  on  the  beauties  of  the  night.  The  blanket  grew 
ever  wetter,  so  I  pattered  out  barefoot  through  the 
puddles  and  secured  my  raincoat.  Wrapped  in  this 
and  my  one  woolen  blanket  I  dozed  through  the  re- 
maining wetness  of  the  night.  The  story  of  our  party 
as  we  left  the  lake  a  week  later  and  proceeded  down 
the  river  reads  like  an  Odyssey. 

We  left  Ntondo  on  a  very  small  steamer  belonging 
to  the  Sedec  Company,  for  which  we  had  made  special 
arrangements.  The  name  of  the  boat  was  the  Deliver- 
ance. The  journey  across  the  lake  was  without  event, 
but  at  the  outlet  a  storm  struck  us.  The  tempest  came 
down  with  great  violence,  and  the  captain  was  forced 
to  run  the  boat  into  the  bank.  The  suddenness  of  the 
approach  of  the  storm  gave  no  time  for  choice  of  a  site. 
The  water  was  lashed  into  furious  waves,  which  beat 
upon  us,  driving  the  boat  higher  and  higher  among  the 
reeds.  The  captain  endeavored  to  put  out  steadying 
anchors  but  unsuccessfully.  Fortunately,  it  was  over 
in  an  hour  or  so,  and  we  got  the  boat  ofif  the  bank  and 
proceeded,  arriving  at  Irebu,  the  military  post,  where 
we  hoped  to  get  a  larger  boat  down  the  river  after 
nightfall.  Commandant  Hanson  was  very  kind  to  us 
and  provided  two  houses  for  our  accommodation. 
Like  wise  African  travelers  we  had  with  us  everything 
needed  for  health  and  comfort. 

The  following  day  we  witnessed  a  parade  of  the 
native  troops,  about  800  in  number,  and  the  awarding 
of  prizes  for  good  marksmanship.  The  black  soldiers 
in  their  red-trimmed  khaki  uniforms,  red  sashes  and 
fezzes,  made  a  picturesque  sight.     It  was  a  fete  day, 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  25 

and  following  the  parade  they  had  holiday.  An  addi- 
tional source  of  satisfaction  to  them  was  that  they  had 
just  killed  an  elephant.  All  the  morning  they  were 
pushing  great  wheelbarrows  filled  with  pieces  of  the  meat 
and  depositing  it  in  a  malodorous  heap  at  the  side  of 
the  parade-ground.  It  smelled  to  high  heaven,  but 
their  mouths  watered  for  it.  Our  boys  came  and 
begged  that  we  secure  some  of  it  for  them.  Groups  of 
soldiers  passed  dragging  between  them  a  great  limb 
of  the  animal  or  some  other  convenient  portion  of  its 
anatomy.  The  perfume  was  searching  and  penetrat- 
ing.    It  was  a  fearsome  thing,  palpable  and  ponderable. 

It  is  scarcely  matter  for  surprise  that  we  were  not 
wholly  sorry  when  word  came  that  the  steamer  which 
was  to  call  for  us  refused  to  put  in  to  Irebu  and  that 
it  would  be  necessary  for  us  to  proceed  in  canoes  to 
Gombe,  the  next  point  down  the  river,  which  is  a  more 
convenient  port  of  call.  Even  the  threat  of  rain  was 
not  sufficient  to  prevent  our  fleeing  that  all-pervading 
effluvia.  Not  until  we  had  paddled  some  miles  down 
the  river  did  we  feel  free  from  the  noisome  pestilence. 

A  canoe  is  a  delightful  conveyance  by  which  to 
travel.  You  are  down  near  to  the  water  and  can  mark 
the  current  gliding  swiftly  past.  The  rowers  sing 
their  little  songs  while  one  of  them  beats  time  on  the 
gunwale.  Many  little  things  come  to  your  notice 
which  escape  you  on  the  larger  river  boats.  After  a 
time  it  began  to  rain  dismally,  a  fine,  penetrating,  and 
continuous  drizzle.  It  wet  through  my  roll  of  bedding 
which  was  in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe.  This,  however, 
I  did  not  discover  until  the  opportune  hour  of  bedtime 
at  Gombe.  We  were  all  fairly  wet  in  spite  of  our  rain- 
coats. But  upon  arrival  at  Gombe  we  walked  briskly 
in  the  late  afternoon  sun  and  were  soon  dry. 


26  Rock-Breakers 


Here  again  we  were  indebted  to  the  military  authori- 
ties for  shelter.  The  Commandante  placed  several 
buildings  at  our  disposal.  We  had  hoped  to  get  away 
promptly,  but  our  boat  was  delayed,  and  we  were 
there  several  days.  In  the  meantime  our  provi- 
sions commenced  to  run  short,  and  we  were  forced  to 
skirmish  in  every  direction  for  further  supplies. 

The  second  night  we  had  an  experience  without 
which  no  African  journey  may  be  said  to  be  complete, 
although  many  missionaries  live  for  years  in  the  coun- 
try without  going  through  it. 

Doctor  King  and  I  had  been  assigned  to  a  house 
on  the  main  road.  We  were  in  profound  slumber 
when  I  was  suddenly  brought  to  consciousness  by  my 
companion  lighting  a  match.  No  sooner  had  the  flick- 
ering flame  steadied  sufficiently  for  him  to  discern 
the  trouble  than  he  ejaculated  one  word,  gave  a  leap 
out  of  bed  and  into  his  shoes,  and  a  second  leap  landed 
him  outside  and  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  One 
motion  freed  him  from  his  pajamas,  which  fell  at  his 
feet,  while  he  stood  naked  and  writhing  in  the  brilliant 
silvery  moonlight,  picking  at  his  back  as  though  at 
the  strings  of  a  lute. 

The  word  he  had  uttered  was  "  Drivers,"  and  I  was 
sufficiently  conscious  to  realize  that  the  driver-ants 
had  invaded  our  house.  Naturally,  I  was  but  little 
behind  Doctor  King,  and  for  some  time  we  industri- 
ously chased  the  marauding  insects  up  and  down  our 
spines.  The  whole  house  was  a  prey  to  them  ;  myriads 
of  them  were  at  work  through  the  entire  building. 
Beds  and  bedding  were  alive  with  them.  When  our 
persons  were  sufficiently  free  from  them  we  made 
many  hasty  adventures  into  the  stricken  house,  stamp- 
ing our  feet  lustily  the  while,  as  we  seized  some  por- 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  27 

tion  of  the  bed  furniture,  mosquito-netting,  or  blankets, 
carrying  them  out  piece  by  piece.  Then  began  the 
difficult  task  of  freeing  the  beds  and  bedding  from  the 
ants  out  in  the  roadway.  Fortunately,  the  moon  was 
at  the  full.  A  cinema  would  have  given  Doctor  King 
immortal  fame  as  he  danced  in  the  moonlight,  a  fan- 
tastic figure  waving  a  sheet  in  the  breeze.  After  some 
two  hours  of  work  we  succeeded  in  erecting  the  beds 
complete  some  distance  from  the  house  in  the  middle 
of  the  road  and  passed  the  rest  of  the  night  quietly. 

The  following  morning  the  drivers  had  quitted  our 
bedroom  finding  little  edible  material  there,  but  the 
army  was  still  on  its  way  marching  in  front  of  the 
house.  They  are  marvelous  little  creatures  and  seem 
to  have  an  intricate  social  organization  of  their  own. 
Their  line  of  march  is  preserved  as  accurately  as  by 
an  army  of  men.  The  ordinary  worker  is  rather 
small  but  exercises  herculean  strength  in  the  way  of 
porterage,  frequently  carrying  a  dead  insect  two  or 
three  times  as  large  as  himself.  There  are  soldier-ants 
several  times  as  large  as  the  workers  and  having  large, 
heavy  mandibles  which  give  one  a  formidable  nip. 
You  may  pull  the  body  from  the  head  without  loosen- 
ing the  grip.  These  are  ever  ready  to  protect  the  line 
of  march  and  sometimes  make  an  arched  way  for  the 
workers  to  walk  under  by  standing  on  their  hind  legs 
and  joining  their  mandibles  above  the  moving  caravan. 

Scouts  of  medium  size  are  sent  out  here  and  there 
on  every  side.  These  intelligent  agents  search  in 
every  direction  for  food,  and  when  they  have  found  it 
give  orders  for  the  workers  to  disperse  and  clean  up 
the  area  chosen.  There  are  also  engineers.  The  line 
of  march  ran  along  the  gutter  in  front  of  the  house. 
At  one  place  the  earth  was  broken  away,  and  the  path 


28  Rock-Breakers 


was  uncertain.  There  was  danger  that  the  laden  car- 
riers might  slip  down-hill.  A  row  of  the  large  engi- 
neer-ants placed  themselves  at  the  point  of  danger 
and  supported  the  path  while  the  army  passed.  In- 
credible stories  are  told  about  the  driver-ants,  but 
these  personal  observations  will  serve  to  indicate  their 
high  organization  and  almost  human  intelligence. 

In  process  of  time  our  boat  arrived.  There  was 
room  for  but  seven  while  our  party  numbered  four- 
teen, but  the  persuasive  powers  of  Mr.  Clark  succeeded 
in  convincing  the  captain  that  he  could  take  us  all,  and 
we  proceeded  down  the  river. 

Four  o'clock  is  perhaps  the  most  trying  period  of 
the  Congo  day.  But  later,  when  the  sun  is  only  a 
little  above  the  horizon,  begins  the  hour  of  compensa- 
tion. Its  level  rays  shine  benignly  over  the  trees  and 
the  water,  turning  both  the  surface  of  the  river  and 
the  forest  upon  the  opposite  bank  to  a  golden  resplen- 
dent green.  The  river  seems  smooth  and  oily  like  a 
great  stream  of  petroleum  sliding  away  beneath  one. 
It  mirrors  with  a  hazy  film  the  rich  greens  of  the 
shore :  the  lush  growth  of  marsh-grass,  the  deep  greens 
of  the  older  foliage,  the  tender  tints  where  the  new 
leaves  are  appearing,  and  the  deeper  olive  of  the  palm 
fronds.  Appearing  here  and  there  are  the  gray  con- 
torted limbs  and  trunks  and  the  pendant  creepers  and 
vines. 

Over  against  the  green  of  the  mirrored  foliage  was 
the  reflected  blue  of  the  intense  tropical  evening  sky 
with  the  sharp  relief  of  two  massive  banks  of  clouds, 
glistening  white  as  snow  in  the  declining  light. 
Congo's  sunsets  are  at  their  best  on  the  river.  The 
sinking  sun  is  surrounded  by  a  glorious  panoply  of  vivid 
hues ;  brilliant  crimson  against  a  background  of  old 


"  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away  "  29 

rose  and  gold ;  royal  purple  fading  into  the  blue  and 
slate  of  the  distant  hills  which  seem  to  block  the  river 
channels ;  rainbow  hues  of  intermediate  colors ;  inter- 
vening clouds  stained  with  orange  and  violet  and  pale 
mauve.  It  is  the  glory  of  Congo's  day.  Fading  and 
blending,  combining  and  recreating,  the  picture 
changes  from  moment  to  moment  as  the  full-orbed  sun 
declines  like  an  incandescent  metal  shield  into  the  dis- 
tance of  the  stream. 

When  it  is  quite  gone  and  the  more  vivid  colors  have 
faded,  the  tender  memories  of  day  seem  to  hover  about 
the  sunset  sky  in  delicate  tints  of  baby  blue  and  pink 
and  opalescent  green,  until  the  quiet  and  peace  of 
evening  is  upon  the  river.  The  shadows  on  the  water 
are  deeper,  and  the  greens  pass  from  olive  almost  to 
black.  The  breeze  has  arisen,  and  the  air  is  cool  and 
sweet.  As  one  sits  in  the  stillness  one  awakens  soon 
to  a  realization  that  one  is  breathing  the  coolness  of 
evening  beneath  God's  great  family  of  stars.  It  is  the 
redeeming  hour  of  Congo's  day,  and  it  is  filled  with 
a  poignant  beauty  which  stills  and  rests  the  soul,  quiets 
the  overstrained  nerves,  and  brings  conviction  of  the 
day  of  full  redemption  which  shall  yet  be. 


II 

CREATING  A  STATION 


"  This  Conference  would  impress  upon  the  Christian  world, 
and  especially  upon  the  Protestant  churches  of  America,  the  re- 
markable significance  of  the  present  moment  in  the  history  of 
Africa  missions  and  the  responsibility  resting  upon  the  Christian 
church  to  provide  now  the  resources  of  men  and  money,  the 
strategy  in  the  disposal  of  the  Christian  forces,  and  the  outpour- 
ing of  prayer  that  shall  make  it  possible  to  use  to  the  full  the 
God-given  opportunity  to  take  Africa  noiv  for  Christ." 

— From  Findings  of  Conference  on  Africa, 
held  in  Neiv  York,  November  20-22,  1917. 


CREATING  A  STATION 


A  matter  of  the  most  fundamental  importance  in 
mission  work  in  Africa  is  the  choosing  of  the  site  in 
the  creation  of  a  station.  Cities  being  unknown  in  the 
interior  and  large  towns  infrequent,  the  site  is  not  pre- 
determined for  the  missionary.  He  has  the  advantage 
of  being  able  to  chose  from  the  entire  field  and  locate 
his  base  where  he  will.  Both  wisdom  and  experience, 
therefore,  are  highly  important  factors  in  deciding 
where  to  build.  Today,  profiting  by  the  past,  it  is 
possible  to  locate  missions  with  a  considerable  degree 
of  assurance  that  the  site  is  well  chosen.  Certain  gen- 
eral principles  have  emerged,  and  the  missionary  who 
has  his  own  experience  to  guide  him  or  who  is  willing 
to  profit  by  the  experience  of  others  need  make  no 
mistake. 

In  the  early  days,  however,  it  was  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent matter.  Stanley  had  just  completed  his  over- 
land journey,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  meager 
data  thus  furnished,  nothing  was  known  of  the  interior 
of  the  Congo.  There  was  no  railroad,  river  navigation 
was  untried,  even  the  caravan  trail  from  Matadi  to  the 
Pool  was  undeveloped.  There  stretched  before  the 
early  pioneers  vast  unknown  areas  in  which  the  imagi- 
nation pictured  forests,  plains,  mountains,  great  rivers, 
lakes,  villages,  hostile  tribes,  slave  raiders,  and  canni- 
bals, coloring  the  whole  with  the  lurid  light  shed  by 
the  awful  history  of  Portuguese  misrule  and  oppression 
in  Angola. 

33 


34  Rock-Breakers 


The  lower  Congo  is  a  succession  of  rolling  hills, 
some  of  which  may  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  moun- 
tains. It  was  over  these  stony  hills  that  the  first  mis- 
sionaries tramped  their  way  to  substantial  achieve- 
ment. The  aim  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission 
was  to  cross  the  Congo  River,  follow  its  course  to 
Stanley  Pool,  and  establish  work  on  the  upper  reaches 
beyond. 

Henry  Richards  and  his  two  companions,  working 
upon  this  program,  did  their  utmost  to  get  across  the 
river  to  its  northern  shore.  They  sought  in  every 
direction  but  found  no  way  of  crossing.  Canoes  there 
were  none,  and  the  river  was  too  deep  to  ford.  More- 
over, the  natives  refused  to  render  any  aid.  His  two 
companions,  finding  it  impossible  to  go  forward,  re- 
solved to  return  to  Palabala  where  a  station  had 
already  been  established.  Mr.  Richards  refused  to 
accompany  them,  saying,  "  No,  we  came  out  to  evan- 
gelize this  country,  and  here  I  shall  stay."  Presently 
he  came  to  the  region  round  about  the  present  station 
of  Banza  Manteke.  He  sought  to  settle  in  the  valley, 
but  the  natives  refused  to  give  him  aid.  He  set  about 
building  a  bamboo  and  clay  hut  in  the  valley.  Several 
Kroo  boys  had  accompanied  him  from  the  coast,  but 
when  the  house  was  finished  all  but  two  of  them  re- 
turned to  Matadi. 

Providentially,  he  was  enabled  to  gain  the  confi- 
dence of  the  chief  Makokila  who,  although  still  a 
heathen,  lent  powerful  protection  to  the  strange  white 
man  from  over  the  seas.  This  brought  upon  him  the 
enmity  of  the  surrounding  chiefs  who  started  war 
against  him.  Makokila's  championship  of  the  white 
man  cost  him  not  a  little.  When  Mr.  Richards  was 
returning   to   America    many    years    later,    Makokila 


Creating  a  Station  35 

seemed  to  have  a  presentiment  that  he  should  not  live 
until  his  friend's  return  and  uttered  many  protestations 
of  regret  at  his  going.  Mr.  Richards  laughingly  said 
to  him :  "  You  do  not  really  love  me,  Makokila.  It  is 
nothing  to  you  whether  I  go  or  stay."  The  old  chief 
raised  the  arm  of  his  flow^ing  robe  and  showed  a  long 
scar  extending  from  above  the  elbow  to  the  middle  of 
the  forearm.  "  White  man,"  said  he,  "  I  got  this  for 
you." 

A  few  months  after  the  first  settlement  Stanley 
passed  that  way  over  the  caravan  trail  leading  from 
Matadi  to  Lukunga  and  thence  to  Stanley  Pool.  He 
spoke  of  the  inadvisability  of  locating  residences  in 
the  sheltered  places  between  the  hills  on  account  of 
the  mosquito-infested  marshes  found  in  such  localities, 
and  led  Richards  to  transfer  the  station  to  its  present 
site  on  the  very  summit  of  one  of  the  numerous  hills 
in  this  part  of  the  Congo.  This  necessitated  rebuild- 
ing, and  Mr.  Richards  was  forced  to  carry  through 
the  work  largely  by  his  own  hands.  The  natives 
would  not  help  him.  "Why  should  we?"  they  in- 
quired. "  We  have  everything  we  want.  Our  wives 
do  the  work,  we  have  plenty  to  eat  and  sufficient  cloth ; 
let  the  white  man  build  his  own  house." 

The  new  site  proved  to  be  well  adapted  for  the  pur- 
pose and  became  the  center  of  influence  from  which 
the  gospel  was  spread  far  and  wide  in  the  surrounding 
country.  It  was  one  day  when  Mr.  Richards  went 
singing  along  the  mountain  path  between  two  villages 
that  the  first  encouragement  came  to  him  indicating 
that  an  impression  was  being  made.  "  White  man," 
said  his  companion  suddenly,  "  I  believe  those  words." 
"Do  you  really  believe?"  replied  Richards.  "Yes," 
said  his  companion,  "  and  I  will  follow  them."     This 


36  Rock-Breakers 


was  the  beginning  of  the  harvest.  The  man  was 
greatly  persecuted  in  his  village  and  had  to  escape  to 
Mr,  Richards  to  avoid  the  poison  ordeal. 

Similar  experiences  may  be  recounted  of  every  new 
section  of  the  Congo  which  has  been  opened  to  the 
gospel.  While  Richards,  Harvey,  Comber,  Bentley, 
and  others  were  pushing  out  into  the  whole  of  the 
lower  Congo,  and  occupying  it  for  Christ,  Grenfell  of 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  of  England  was  mak- 
ing his  great  pioneer  journeys  by  boat  up  the  course 
of  the  main  river  and  its  tributaries.  Every  new  area 
preempted  meant  a  grapple  with  native  prejudice  and 
an  adventure  of  faith  wherein  the  missionary  jeoparded 
his  life.  Beautiful  Lake  Ntumba  lies  just  ofif  the  main 
river  below  Coquilhatville.  The  military  post  of  Irebu 
now  marks  the  place  where  the  channel  leading  to  the 
lake  joins  the  Congo.  Clark  and  Billington  pointed 
the  nose  of  the  little  mission  steamer,  Henr)'-  Reed,  in 
through  this  passage  one  day,  and  emerging  upon  the 
quiet  waters  of  the  lake  realized  that  here  were  good 
possibilities  for  the  erection  of  a  mission  station. 
They  crossed  the  lake  diagonally  to  the  east  shore  and 
made  a  landing,  but  not  a  native  was  in  sight.  Years 
afterwards  when  the  people  had  come  to  know  and 
love  Mr.  Clark,  one  of  them  told  him  their  side  of  the 
story.  It  was  the  cannibal  tribe  of  Lotumba.  They 
knew  all  about  the  recent  invasions  of  the  white  man 
farther  down  the  river  and  had  made  up  their  minds  that 
no  white  men  should  live  among  them.  They  ambushed 
themselves  in  the  trees  and  bushes  along  the  shore  and 
watched  the  little  steamer  approach  with  much  eager- 
ness. It  was  planned  that  as  soon  as  her  prow  touched 
the  beach  they  should  run  out  in  great  numbers,  seize 
the  steamer,  drag  it  up  the  beach,  kill  and  eat  the 


Creating  a  Station  37 

white  men,  possessing  themselves  of  their  goods. 
Such  black  men  as  were  in  the  party  were  to  be  kept 
as  slaves.  Unfortunately,  the  program  did  not  work 
out  just  as  they  had  planned.  The  boat  drew  steadily 
in.  They  could  see  the  white  men  moving  about  on 
the  deck.  She  approached  the  beach,  the  bell  rang  to 
reverse  the  engine.  Suddenly  an  awful  burst  of  steam 
issued  from  the  side  of  the  monster,  while  there  came 
a  shrill  howl  from  above.  It  was  more  than  the 
natives  had  bargained  for.  They  took  to  their  heels 
and  fled  in  mortal  terror  into  the  deeper  reaches  of  the 
forest  beyond.  The  white  men  landed,  set  up  their 
tent  and  prepared  to  remain.  Gradually,  as  their 
terror  subsided,  the  natives  emerged  from  the  bush 
and  timidly  approached.  Neither  Clark  nor  Billing- 
ton  could  speak  their  language  at  this  time,  but  they 
signed  to  them  to  approach  and  finally  began  to  trade 
with  them.  They  needed  fire-wood  for  the  engines  of 
the  boat  and  succeeded  in  making  the  natives  under- 
stand what  they  desired.  The  trading  continued  all 
that  day  and  the  next,  the  missionaries  buying  all  the 
wood  brought  although  it  was  far  beyond  their  needs. 
The  price  was  insignificant,  but  the  contact  was  of  the 
very  greatest  import,  for  it  proved  the  initial  step  in 
the  establishment  of  Ikoko  Station  and  the  evangeliz- 
ing of  the  entire  region  round  about. 

The  development  of  the  pioneer  missionary's  hous- 
ing accommodation  usually  runs  on  schedule,  though 
the  appearance  of  the  various  stages  is  subject  to 
much  irregularity.  It  starts  with  an  extended  picnic 
during  which  the  missionary  camps  out  in  a  tent  upon 
the  beach.  Mrs.  Clark  tells  of  the  al-fresco  meals  of 
early  days  at  Ikoko  when  a  tent  was  their  only  shelter. 
Dining-room  there  was  none,  so  the  table  was  set  out 

D 


38  Rock-Breakers 


under  the  trees  to  the  intense  curiosity  of  the  villagers. 
Inquisitive  eyes  watched  every  movement.  Sugar  was 
put  in  the  coffee.  What  could  this  white  powder  be? 
Surely  it  must  be  salt.  The  very  question,  unex- 
pressed except  by  flashing  eye  and  twitching  fingers, 
formed  a  point  of  contact.  Mrs.  Clark  beckoned  to 
one  of  the  women,  and  when  she  had  so  far  overcome 
her  timidity  as  to  approach  within  arm's  length,  she 
placed  a  little  sugar  in  the  palm  of  her  hand.  The 
woman  immediately  carried  it  to  her  lips,  but  antici- 
pating salt,  the  taste  impressed  her  disagreeably,  and 
she  spat  it  out.  Afterwards  Mrs.  Clark  handed  the 
woman  a  little  salt  which  passed  from  hand  to  hand, 
and  was  partaken  of  with  great  satisfaction. 

The  next  step  is  the  erection  of  a  hut  after  the  native 
fashion.  Woven  bamboo  forms  its  walls,  and  its  roof 
is  a  thick  thatch  of  long  grass  or  palm  leaves.  This 
forms  the  family  shelter  until  it  can  be  replaced  by  a 
more  permanent  structure.  It  is  one  of  these  flimsy 
huts  which  Mr.  Clark  describes  as  the  first  dwelling 
occupied  by  himself  and  Mrs.  Clark  at  Ikoko.  The 
natives  were  suspicious  and  not  overfriendly.  They 
refused  to  provide  a  suitable  site  for  a  house  and  Mr. 
Clark  had  to  use  his  own  judgment  in  choosing.  The 
first  hut  made  was  twenty-seven  feet  long  and  was 
divided  into  sections ;  first  a  store,  then  a  dining-room, 
then  a  bedroom.  It  was  made  of  green  bamboo  which 
shrank  as  soon  as  it  dried,  leaving  such  interstices  as 
Pyramus  might  have  employed  to  woo  Thisby.  Piti- 
less publicity  was  endured  during  the  day,  but  at  night 
they  blew  out  the  light  and  undressed  in  the  dark.  It 
was  discovered  that  the  house  was  built  upon  a 
recently  used  burial-ground.  Mrs.  Clark  was  taken 
seriously  ill  with  dysentery,  which  added  to  the  already 


Creating  a  Station  39 

heavy  burden  of  expectant  motherhood.  Then  God 
blessed  the  pioneer  missionaries  beyond  their  anticipa- 
tions. Twins  put  in  an  appearance.  The  mother  was 
too  ill  to  nurse  them,  and  one  can  easily  picture  the 
sleepy  father  worn  out  with  watching  and  the  burdens 
of  the  new  work,  waking  at  night  to  do  duty  as  nurse. 
No  wonder  it  is  related  of  him  that  he  held  the  baby 
on  his  knee  and  thrust  the  nipple  in  its  eye. 

A  provisional  but  somewhat  more  substantial  dwell- 
ing is  constructed  by  the  aid  of  interlaced  bamboos 
placed  at  regular  intervals.  Balls  of  clay  are  thrust 
into  the  interstices  to  act  as  rude  bricks,  and  the  whole 
is  plastered  inside  and  out  with  the  sticky  mud.  The' 
mixture  is  improved  by  pulverizing  ant-hills  and  add- 
ing the  powder  to  the  mud.  The  glutinous  secre- 
tion with  which  the  ants  construct  their  homes  adds 
to  the  solidity  and  impermeability  of  the  walls.  They 
may  be  from  four  to  eight  inches  thick,  and  become 
very  hard.  Houses  of  this  kind  sometimes  last  for 
many  years.  The  floor  is  commonly  the  beaten  earth 
upon  which  are  placed  native  mats.  Weather-proof  as 
such  houses  may  be,  they  are  not  sufficiently  com- 
modious to  furnish  the  missionary  with  a  satisfactory 
home  for  permanent  occupancy.  Sooner  or  later  he 
must  plan  to  replace  these  buildings  with  wood  or 
brick.  Here  the  arts  of  cutting  and  preparing  lumber, 
brickmaking,  joining  and  finishing  come  into  requisi- 
tion and  the  missionaries'  necessities  give  rise  to  an 
industrial  school. 

It  is  difficult  for  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with 
tropical  forests  to  form  an  accurate  idea  of  the  density 
of  the  growth.  Stanley  has  been  criticized  for  speak- 
ing of  the  "  impenetrable  forests  "  through  which  he 
was  forced  to  make  a  way  in  his  descent  from  Ujiji  to 


40  Rock-Breakers 


the  coast.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  most  African  for- 
ests tend  to  the  impenetrable.  The  main  elements  of 
these  forests  seem  to  be  towering  giant  trees  which 
lift  straight  trunks  undeviatingly  toward  the  sky  to 
break  above  into  a  spreading  mass  of  gnarled  and 
crooked  branches  overarching  the  jungle.  They  are 
teak,  ironwood,  baobab,  camwood,  and  many  native 
woods  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  but  to 
which  so  far  as  one  can  learn  no  civilized  name  has 
been  attached.  These  form  the  framework  of  the 
great  forest,  but  interspersed  are  lesser  trunks,  palms, 
borasus,  and  bamboos,  while  beneath  all  are  shrubs, 
thorny  bushes,  straggling  limbs,  and  fallen  trees. 
Giant  creepers  depend  from  the  topmost  branches, 
reaching  to  the  ground  like  stout  ropes,  ready  to  the 
hands  and  feet  of  the  monkey  tribe.  The  wicker  palm 
from  which  furniture  is  made,  climbs  freely  over  the 
outer  branches,  while  below  stout  trailing  vines  weave 
themselves  in  and  out  through  every  available  inter- 
stice rendering  progress  totally  impracticable  until  a 
path  has  been  cut.  It  is  not  infrequent  that  one  sees 
a  tree  literally  growing  about  another,  twining  its 
trunk  and  branches  about  the  supporting  trunk  and 
gradually  crushing  the  life  out  of  it.  Deep  vivid  green 
is  the  prevailing  impression  that  the  forest  makes 
upon  one ;  an  olive-green  ocean  of  leaves  broken  by  the 
occasional  gray  of  contorted  trunks  and  limbs.  But 
here  and  there  a  lovely  contrast  is  furnished  by  the 
blossom-burdened  tracery  of  a  vine  which  flings  its 
pink  or  purple  spray  over  the  crown  of  some  forest 
lord. 

Two  axes,  a  saw,  a  hammer,  a  box  of  nails,  two 
bales  of  cloth,  and  ten  sacks  of  salt  comprised  the 
working   equipment    with    which    Dr.    W.    H.    Leslie 


Creating  a  Station  41 

hewed  Vanga  out  of  the  primitive  African  jungle. 
With  this  meager  outfit  he  attacked  the  tangled  mass 
of  underbrush  and  interlacing  creepers  which  bind 
together  age-old  jungle  giants  and  form  with  them 
Congo's  menacing  denial  to  the  pioneering  onslaught 
of  the  missionary.  He  forced  his  way  up  the  declivity 
of  the  bank  of  the  river  Kwilu  and,  despite  brush- 
nurtured  tsetse  fly  and  ubiquitous  mosquito,  bit  by  bit 
pushed  back  the  wild  forest  until  he  had  won  the  broad 
sweep  of  a  splendid  plateau  from  the  wilderness. 

This  is  not  ancient  missionary  history,  for  its  begin- 
nings date  from  the  year  1913.  The  forbidding  mass 
of  vegetation  reared  itself  above  the  river-bank  and 
cast  its  heavy  shadow  over  the  water.  Beyond  the 
fringe  of  forest  skirting  the  river  lay  cannibal  villages 
absolutely  untouched  by  the  gospel  and  very  little 
acquainted  with  the  white  man  and  his  ways.  The 
first  day's  clearing  yielded  little  more  than  space  for 
the  tent  on  the  beach,  but  day  after  day  the  two  axes 
and  the  saw  cut  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  intricate 
mass  until  the  summit  was  reached,  and  then  the  ham- 
mer and  the  box  of  nails  came  into  play.  In  the  brief 
period  which  has  intervened  since  its  opening  the  sta- 
tion has  spread  over  the  entire  plateau.  Its  twenty- 
one  wattle-and-mud  buildings  include  the  homes  of  the 
missionaries,  the  church,  the  school,  the  dispensary, 
the  carpenter-shop,  the  houses  for  schoolboys,  the 
girls'  dormitory,  the  printing-shop,  and  the  guest-house. 
It  presents  an  attractive  and  orderly  village  crowning 
the  rise  from  the  river  with  plaza,  main  street,  and 
pineapple-bordered  avenue  running  backward  between 
plantations  of  manioc,  coffee,  and  bananas  to  the  main 
road  leading  to  the  native  village. 

This  attractive  base,  wrested  from  endless  miles  of 


42  Rock-Breakers 


prevailing  wilderness,  is  merely  the  starting-point  from 
which  pioneer  journeys  have  carried  the  message  far 
and  wide  through  hundreds  of  miles  of  plain  and  forest, 
until  no  less  than  fifty  villages  have  responded  to  the 
call  and  welcomed  both  gospel  preaching  and  the 
establishment  of  schools. 

Eight  days  distant  a  main  outpost  has  been  estab- 
lished in  the  village  of  Moanza  which,  while  dependent 
for  direction  and  encouragement  upon  the  station  of 
Vanga,  has  itself  become  a  center  of  power  and  light. 
Twenty-two  additional  village  schools  and  preaching 
services  are  under  the  care  of  Mpambu,  the  vigorous 
African  leader  whose  story  is  told  elsewhere. 

The  little  bush  school  is  a  primitive  establishment. 
Its  home  is  usually  a  grass-thatched  native  hut,  its 
equipment  a  few  slates  and  a  primer  or  two,  and  its 
presiding  genius  a  young  lad  whose  own  mental  fur- 
nishing takes  him  little  beyond  Bible  stories  and  long 
division ;  but  it  is  these  little  village  schools  which  fur- 
nish the  introduction  to  the  mystery  of  letters,  awaken 
the  desire  for  a  fuller  life,  and  point  the  way  to  better 
and  larger  things.  The  trail  which  leads  the  mission- 
ary over  the  hills  and  plains  to  the  cluster  of  native 
huts  with  Bible  and  school-book,  turns  back  upon  itself 
when  the  unrest  of  untried  possibilities  takes  posses- 
sion of  the  heart  of  the  youth  of  the  village,  and  one 
day  a  group  of  boys  manifestly  not  urban  in  their  ap- 
pearance, equipped  with  a  yearning  for  knowledge  and 
little  else  except  a  piece  of  cloth  varying  in  size  from 
a  few  inches  to  a  yard  draped  artistically  amidships, 
make  their  appearance  at  the  main  station  to  enter  the 
boarding-school.  These  lads  receive  an  invariable 
welcome,  and  as  they  are  perfectly  capable  of  working 
for  a  living  they  do  not  become  a  charge  upon  the  mis- 


Creating  a  Station  43 

sion,  but  vary  their  wrestlings  in  the  schoolroom  with 
equally  strenuous  exercises  in  the  forest  and  manioc 
patch.  The  physical  equipment  of  the  station,  houses, 
shops,  roads,  fences,  gardens,  owes  itself  to  the  indus- 
try of  the  schoolboys  in  their  desire  for  learning.  And 
every  new  enterprise  becomes  a  new  educational  factor. 
If  houses  are  to  be  built  lumber  is  required,  and  the 
white  man  goes  into  the  forest  with  saws  and  men, 
emerging  with  a  supply  of  sawed  planks  and  a  com- 
pany of  expert  sawyers.  Bricks  are  needed ;  he  takes 
another  group  of  lads,  locates  a  clay  bank,  and  dabbles 
in  it.  Perhaps  to  the  missionary  himself  the  task  may 
have  been  little  more  than  an  academic  theory  previ- 
ously, but  slowly  forms  are  made,  kilns  are  erected, 
and  bricks  materialize,  while  brickmakers  and  brick- 
layers are  produced  in  the  process. 

There  are  now  more  than  two  hundred  boys  and 
young  men  at  Vanga  Station.  Both  school  building 
and  chapel  are  filled  to  their  capacity  with  classes,  and 
those  who  cannot  find  accommodation  within  pursue 
their  scholastic  work  on  a  bench  out  under  a  tree. 
There  are  classes  of  small  boys  and  girls  learning  to 
read  from  charts  in  monosyllables,  ba,  be,  bi,  bo,  bu. 
There  are  others  beginning  to  add  and  subtract. 
There  are  larger  youths  struggling  with  the  mysteries 
of  the  first  reader  in  their  own  language  or  languages, 
for  three  are  in  use.  The  classes  in  mathematics  occa- 
sionally go  as  far  as  fractions,  and  the  subject  is  then 
known  as  "  the  study  which  causes  trouble  for  the 
head."  Each  of  these  classes  is  under  the  leadership 
of  a  more  advanced  scholar  who  may  not  be  either  the 
largest  or  eldest  by  any  means.  Most  astonishing  of 
all  is  a  group  of  young  men  who  are  grappling  with 
French,  and  who  repeat  in  quite  understandable  man- 


44  Rock-Breakers 


ner  such  profound  phrases  as  Ou  est  mon  chapeau?  and 
Le  chat  est  sur  le  table.  Far  from  despicable  progress 
has  been  made  by  some  of  them,  and  knowing,  of 
course,  nothing  of  their  native  tongue,  the  writer  had 
the  satisfaction  of  communicating  directly  with  some 
of  them  by  means  of  the  simple  French  sentences  they 
have  learned. 

Educators  everywhere  will  agree,  however,  that  all 
of  education  is  not  comprised  in  the  schoolroom,  and 
even  primitive  educational  institutions  are  not  exempt 
from  the  disturbances  caused  by  love's  young  dream. 
The  young  men  gathering  at  Vanga  speedily  made 
known  to  their  teacher  that  they  were  betrothed,  and 
moreover  that  they  were  anxious  that  the  village  belles 
upon  whom  social  custom  and  the  wishes  of  their 
uncles  had  decreed  that  their  youthful  affections  should 
be  set,  should  receive  similar  educational  advantages 
to  those  which  they  themselves  were  enjoying. 

This  presented  to  the  missionary  a  serious  problem, 
but  in  the  fashion  of  missionaries  everywhere  he  im- 
mediately recognized  in  it  a  new  opportunity,  and  at 
the  opposite  side  of  the  village  under  the  protecting 
wing  of  the  home  of  the  single  woman  missionary. 
Miss  Grage,  he  caused  to  be  erected  another  building 
of  the  prevailing  bamboo-and-clay  type  to  shelter  such 
young  girls  as  the  missionaries  were  able  to  induce  to 
come  to  the  station.  There  are  now  fifty-five  of  these 
young  ladies  and  all  of  them  engaged.  Let  the  imagi- 
nation dwell  upon  it.  Fifty-five  engaged  couples  upon 
one  station  with  Cupid  panting  from  overwork  and 
fatigue  under  a  tropical  sun.  But  these  young  people 
have  other  matters  to  occupy  their  attention  than  love- 
making.  The  day's  activities  begin  at  sunrise  or  a 
little  before.     The  girls  are  led  in  companies  to  their 


PUTTING  THATCH   ROOF  ON  THE  CHAPEL 
Vanga 


VANGA  SCHOOLBOYS 
Taking  a  Swim 


Creating  a  Station  45 

work  in  the  gardens  which  they  weed  and  plant  with 
manioc.  The  boys  and  young  men  have  previously 
done  the  heavier  spade  work  and  are  now  away  at 
their  house-building,  brick-making,  or  other  tasks. 
The  girls  continue  through  the  day,  alternating  indus- 
trial and  domestic  studies  with  book  work  in  the 
schoolroom.  What  with  the  busy  activities  of  the 
day,  the  work,  the  study,  the  preparation  and  con- 
sumption of  the  meals,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  merry 
games  in  which  all  join,  the  boys  in  their  own  pre- 
cincts and  the  girls  in  theirs,  the  complications  of  pro- 
pinquity are  avoided.  Moreover,  it  may  be  noted  that 
the  girls  range  from  ten  years  old  upward.  Proper 
occasions  for  meeting  between  the  boys  and  girls  are 
arranged  under  suitable  oversight.  The  boys  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the  future  partners  of  their 
joys  and  sorrows  are  being  cared  for  and  trained 
against  the  day  when  they  are  ready  to  take  a  wife, 
and  the  girls  blossom  happily  into  a  richer  and  fuller 
life  than  ever  could  have  been  theirs  under  the  social 
conditions  of  the  heathen  village. 

This  system  of  wife  and  husband  training  has  al- 
ready been  working  at  Vanga  for  some  years,  and  not 
a  few  young  couples  have  been  graduated  into  a  happy 
home  life  and  useful  Christian  service.  It  has  given 
rise  to  another  unique  institution.  Behind  the  mis- 
sion station  a  little  farther  up  the  hill,  separated  from 
the  compound  by  coffee  and  manioc  patches,  is  a  model 
village  built  by  the  graduate  young  couples.  No  one 
is  permitted  to  locate  in  the  village  except  Christian 
young  couples  who  have  gone  through  the  schools. 
Each  young  man  builds  a  house  for  his  bride.  They 
are  on  a  uniform  plan,  square  in  outline,  have  two  com- 
modious rooms,  are  constructed  of  wood  and  clay,  and 


A6  Rock-Breakers 


have  properly  fitted  doors  and  windows.  The  roof  is 
of  grass.  Each  has  its  own  enclosure  with  a  garden 
where  grow  paypays,  bananas,  sweet  potatoes,  manioc, 
peppers,  and  other  vegetables.  Chickens  are  found  in 
almost  every  yard,  and  there  is  an  occasional  goat. 
The  houses  face  each  other  on  the  two  sides  of  a  wide, 
cleanly  swept  street.  The  interiors  of  the  houses  are 
neat  and  clean  and  are  furnished  in  some  cases  with 
tables  and  chairs.  All  have  beds  and  mosquito-net- 
tings. Considerable  effort  has  been  put  forth  by  the 
owners  to  make  them  attractive.  Behind  each  house 
is  a  small  cook-house  of  lighter  materials.  When  the 
young  people  marry  they  join  the  village  and  com- 
mence their  married  life  under  favorable  Christian 
surroundings  which  enable  them  to  avoid  entangle- 
ment from  the  first  with  the  old  vicious  customs  of 
the  heathen  village.  Some  of  these  young  couples  are 
even  learning  to  eat  together,  a  very  great  departure 
from  ancient  custom,  but  a  practise  which  will  do 
much  to  favor  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  home 
as  we  know  it. 

After  some  consideration  the  boys  chose  the  name 
of  Beige  for  their  little  village.  They  look  forward  to 
establishing  their  houses  there  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure,  and  it  proves  an  incentive  to  good  work 
during  their  school  career.  The  young  couples  are 
encouraged  to  remain  in  Beige  only  for  a  year  or  two, 
until  family  habits  are  established.  They  then  return 
to  their  own  village  carrying  Avith  them  the  riches  of 
a  new  understanding,  an  enlightened  heart,  cleanly 
habits,  and  better  methods  of  living. 

The  situation  at  Vanga  has  been  described  in  some 
detail  as  it  is  a  fairly  typical  instance  of  the  creation 
and  development   of  a  mission   station.     It  must  be 


Creating  a  Station  47 

borne  in  mind,  however,  that  similar  efforts  varying 
only  in  manner  and  detail  are  now  being  carried  on 
far  and  wide  throughout  the  Congo  territory.  There 
are  now  534  missionaries  at  work  in  the  territory 
covered  by  the  General  Conference  of  Protestant  Mis- 
sionaries, and  all  of  them  are  devoting  themselves  to 
the  establishment  or  development  of  such  stations. 
The  significance  of  the  movement  is  difficult  to  gage. 
Unquestionably  it  is  profoundly  affecting  the  life  of 
the  country.  Social  abuses  such  as  cannibalism,  fet- 
ishism, polygamy,  are  being  greatly  mitigated,  the 
power  of  the  witch-doctor  is  waning,  the  poison  ordeal 
is  disappearing,  tribal  wars  are  far  less  frequent.  New 
moral  ideals  are  being  established,  ideas  of  cleanliness 
are  replacing  the  older  filthy  living  conditions,  the 
native  is  raised  from  a  mat  on  the  floor  to  a  chair, 
books  begin  to  unfold  their  secrets  to  the  child  mind 
of  the  people,  and  above  all  a  positive,  sin-conquering, 
Christ-revealing  faith  is  taking  the  place  of  the  ancient 
religion  of  terror  and  degrading  superstition. 

Comparison  between  the  statistics  of  two  decades 
ago  and  those  of  the  present  day  reveals  remarkable 
progress : 

r  1902  1920 

Missionaries    190  534 

Stations   40  107 

Native  Workers 602  5,166 

Church-members 6,521  55.000 

Scholars 10,162  100,000 

The  figures  for  1920  are  not  entirely  complete,  but 
the  above  is  sufficiently  accurate  for  purposes  of  com- 
parison. The  present  population  of  Congo  is  about 
twelve    million.      Of    these    four    million    are    being 


48 


Rock-Breakers 


reached  by  existing  agencies,  four  million  more  are 
within  the  radius  of  present  influence,  while  the  re- 
maining four  million  must  be  provided  for  by  new 
agencies  or  the  expansion  of  the  work  of  agencies  now 
in  the  field. 

The  Societies  at  work  in  Congo  at  present  are: 


A.  B.F.  M.  S. 

A.  I.  M. 
A.  P.  C.  M. 
B.M.  S. 
C.  B.  M. 
C.  I.  M. 

C.  &  M.  A. 

D.  C  C.  M. 
G.  E.  M. 
H.A.M. 
M.  B.M. 
M.  E.  C.  M. 

(North) 
M.  E.  C.  M. 

(South) 
P.M. 
S.D.A. 
S.  M. 
W.M. 
S.  B.M. 
U.  S.  M. 
S.  B.M.  P.  C. 


American    Baptist    Foreign    Missionary 

Society 
Africa  Inland  Mission 
American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  (of  England) 
Congo  Balolo  Mission 
Congo  Inland  Mission 
Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance 
Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission 
Garanganze  Evangelical  Mission 
Heart  of  Africa  Mission 
Memorial  Baptist  Mission 
Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission 

Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission 

Pentecostal  Mission 
Seventh  Day  Adventists 
Swedish  Mission 
Westcott  Brothers'  Mission 
Swedish  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
Ubangi-Shari  Mission 
Societe  Beige  de  Missions  Protestantes 
au  Congo 


The  western  section  of  the  Congo  includes  Bas  Congo, 
Moyen  Congo,  and  Kwango  districts.     This  is  the  area 


PROT£STANT  M/SS/ONS  IN  TH£  BfiGMN  COA/SO 

EZn    ABfM.S. 

C.B.M. 

SM.S. 
fUZl     C.SMA 
CZU    S.P/fSS. 

CZS  G.CM. 

r—\  sw.B/ip 

EHZ]  A/O/fTH  AfSTM. 

KKa  PENTfCOSZai 

CES3  ^OVTH  M£rM. 

C2I  MSNN. 

CID  H.AM. 

ZU  A/.Af. 

cm  sBfli.p.c. 


Creating  a  Station  49 

first  occupied  by  Protestant  missionaries  forty-three 
years  ago.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  most  adequately 
cared-for  section  of  the  Congo  field.  The  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society,  the  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission 
Society,  the  Swedish  Mission  Society,  and  the  Chris- 
tian and  Missionary  Alliance  are  working  here.  The 
two  latter  Societies  extend  their  work  into  the  French 
territory  adjacent.  The  Kwango  district  still  presents 
a  population  of  300,000,  with  only  one  station  and  an 
effective  outstation  for  its  evangelization,  but  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  is  plan- 
ning advance  work  in  this  area,  and  it  seems  probable 
that  it  can  be  cared  for  without  the  introduction  of 
other  missionary  societies. 

The  northern  section  of  Congo  comprises  the  dis- 
tricts of  TJbangi,  Bangala,  Bas  Uele,  Haut  Uele,  Ituri, 
and  Stanleyville.  Five  Societies  are  working  here : 
the  Africa  Inland  Mission,  the  Heart  of  Africa  Mis- 
sion, the  Cooperative  Baptist  Missions  of  North 
America,  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  Congo  Mission.  The  Ubangi  Shari 
Mission,  which  also  affiliates  with  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  Protestant  Missionaries,  working  in  Congo,  has 
established  a  mission  at  Bozoum  among  the  Karre 
people  in  French  Equatorial  Africa  adjacent  to  Congo 
Beige.  All  the  work  carried  on  in  this  area  is  still 
new.  The  field  is  vast  and  still  inadequately  occupied. 
New  societies  might  find  a  sphere  of  service  here. 

It  is  in  this  section  that  the  gap  exists  in  the  chain 
of  mission  stations  across  equatorial  Africa  so  long 
dreamed  and  talked  of.  Mr.  W.  J.  W.  Roome, 
F.  R.  G.  S.,  Agent  for  East  Africa  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  came  by  bicycle  through  this 
area   in   order  to   attend   the   General   Conference  of 


50  Rock-Breakers 


Protestant  Missionaries  meeting  in  Bolenge,  October 
30  to  November  7,  1921.  Starting  from  his  head- 
quarters at  Kampala,  Uganda,  he  left  Uganda  beyond 
Fort  Portal  entering  the  district  of  Ituri,  Congo  Beige. 
From  the  last  outstation  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  Uganda  mission  located  at  Mboga  on  the 
Belgian  side  of  the  border  to  Yakusu,  the  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  station  on  the  upper  reaches  of  the 
Congo  near  Stanleyville,  there  is  a  populous  region  of 
five  hundred  miles  still  entirely  unevangelized.  Mr. 
Roome  counted  two  hundred  and  three  villages  along 
the  line  of  his  march  and  noted  six  points  at  which 
mission  stations  might  possibly  be  located :  Irumu, 
Mombasa,  Penge,  Avakubi,  Bafwasendi,  and  Bafwa- 
boli.  The  area  includes  many  tribes,  some  with  sparse 
population,  others  with  considerable  numbers.  The 
General  Conference  suggests  that  the  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society  of  England  undertake  the  task  of  extend- 
ing its  chain  of  stations  from  Yakusu  to  join  with  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  in  the  East  to  fill  the  still 
existing  gap.  Mr.  Roome  outlines  the  following  plan : 
The  Church  Missionary  Society  advance  to  Mombasa, 
and  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  occupy  the  line  as 
far  as  Epulu  River  and  establish  bases  at  Maganga, 
Boyulu,  and  Penge. 

The  northern  section  comprises  the  Equatorial,  Lac 
Leopold  II,  Sankuru,  Aruimi,  and  Lulongo  districts. 
Five  Societies  occupy  this  field  covering  the  territory 
fairly  adequately.  These  are  the  American  Baptist 
Foreign  Mission  Society,  the  Baptist  Missionary  So- 
ciety, the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission,  the  Congo 
Balolo  Mission,  and  the  Swedish  Baptist  Mission. 
There  are  approximately  three  million  people  in  the 
area.     No  new  societies  are  needed  for  its  occupation, 


Creating  a  Station  51 

but  additional  forces  should  be  added  to  the  staff  of 
each  Society  now  at  work. 

The  eastern  section  includes  Kivu,  Lowa,  Manioma, 
and  Tanganyika  districts.  It  has  a  population  of  about 
three  million  almost  wholly  untouched  by  the  gospel. 
The  Baptist  Missionary  Society  works  across  the  river 
from  Wayika,  but  is  unable  to  cover  the  vast  territory 
included  in  these  districts.  In  this  section  should  be 
included  the  territories  of  Urundi  and  Ruanda,  for- 
merly part  of  German  East  Africa  but  recently  added 
to  Belgian  Congo  under  a  mandate  from  the  League 
of  Nations.  La  Societe  Beige  de  Missions  Protestantes 
au  Congo  has  been  asked  by  the  Belgian  Government 
to  become  trustees  of  the  properties  of  the  German 
Protestant  Missions  abandoned  since  1916.  Dr.  Henry 
Anet,  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Society,  which 
includes  both  branches  of  the  Protestant  Church  in 
Belgium,  has  recently  visited  the  field  with  a  view  to  for- 
mulating plans  for  its  reoccupation.  Several  mission- 
aries of  his  Society  are  already  at  work,  and  others  will 
join  them  shortly.  Two  of  the  Ruanda  stations  have 
been  entrusted  provisionally  to  the  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist  Mission. 

The  southern  section  consists  of  Kasai,  Lomami, 
Lulua,  and  Haut  Luapula  districts.  This  area  is  occu- 
pied by  the  American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission 
which  has  a  strong  mission  on  the  Kasai,  the  Congo 
Inland  Mission,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission 
(North),  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission 
(South),  the  Pentecostal  Mission,  and  the  Garanganze 
Evangelical  Mission.  The  natural  outreach  of  the 
missions  already  at  work  in  this  area  will  probably 
prove  a  sufficiently  adequate  provision  for  its  evan- 
gelization. 


Ill 


PRIMITIVE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR 
POWERS 


"  As  a  farmer  the  Negro  is  more  efficient  than  the  Chinese 
and  the  Hindu.  Negro  dexterity  in  the  practise  of  a  new  hand- 
craft is  remarkable.  His  precocity  in  book-learning  is  equally 
great.  His  animal  spirits  are  irrepressible.  Pagan  Africa 
dances  and  sings  when  the  sun  goes  down.  As  a  free  man  he 
is  capable  of  any  amount  of  work.  Love  among  Negro  mothers 
is  as  patent  as  among  white  women.  The  Negro  is  a  born  diplo- 
mat, orator,  and  trader;  and  his  inner  life  finds  expression  in  a 
folk-lore  not  without  poetry  and  power,  and  in  a  theological 
thought  possessing  lofty  and  noble  ideas,  however  concealed  and 
defiled  by  superstition  and  witchcrait."— Frederick  Perry  Noble. 


PRIMITIVE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR 
POWERS 


Opponents  of  missions  sometimes  paint  a  rosy  pic- 
ture of  the  happy  state  of  the  primitive  savage  un- 
touched by  the  sophisticating  influences  of  Christianity 
and  civilization.  It  is  argued  that  clothing  is  a  super- 
fluity, and  that  the  native  beliefs  and  customs  are 
better  (for  him)  than  ours.  It  is  undeniable  that 
civilization  has  grafted  much  of  alien  evil  upon  the 
main  trunk  of  native  vice,  but  the  holding  of  such  a 
theory  as  the  above  indicates  but  little  understanding 
of  the  actual  conditions  prevailing  in  wholly  savage 
communities. 

A  mere  list  of  the  root  evils  intertwined  with  primi- 
tive African  social  organization  is  sufficient  to  shatter 
the  false  optimism  of  such  a  view  and  to  challenge 
every  follower  of  Jesus  to  the  exercise  of  his  utmost 
powers  to  give  these  lost  and  belated  children  of  de- 
generacy the  opportunity  to  find  their  way  into  the 
homeland  of  Christ's  purity  and  grace.  There  is  poly- 
gamy, a  system  based  upon  the  degradation  of  woman 
and  the  apotheosis  of  lust.  It  carries  in  its  train  a 
group  of  associated  vices :  inflated  male  egoism,  sloth 
and  laziness,  the  destruction  of  any  sound  basis  for 
family  life,  an  unbalanced  social  organization,  further 
degenerative  processes  in  future  generations.  The 
chief  buys  wives  according  to  his  financial  ability,  and 
the  importance  of  his  position  is  gaged  by  the  mag- 
nitude of  his  harem.     The  older  and  more  powerful  the 

55 


56  Rock-Breakers 


chief,  the  greater  the  resources  at  his  command.  He 
is  able  to  buy  the  younger  and  more  comely  women, 
while  the  older  and  less  desirable  are  left  for  the 
vigorous  young  men  whose  possessions  are  few.  The 
effect  this  will  have  upon  the  children  is  readily  seen. 
The  system  produces  sterility  or  feeble  and  degenerate 
children.  One  of  the  gravest  problems  menacing  the 
future  of  Congo  is  this  very  question  of  the  diminution 
of  the  population.  Mr.  C.  E.  Wilson,  Secretary  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  of  England,  makes  the  fol- 
lowing statement  in  "  After  Forty  Years,"  the  report 
of  the  B.  M.  S.  Embassy  to  the  Congo: 

We  could  not  but  remark  the  lamentably  small  population  and 
the  serious  indications  of  decrease  in  the  official  reports.  In  a 
country  of  nearly  1,000,000  square  miles,  about  ninety  times  the 
size  of  Belgium,  the  most  recent  enumeration  (1917)  of  all  the 
chefferies  in  all  the  twenty-two  districts  of  Congo  Beige,  gives 
a  total  of  less  than  6,000,000  natives.  If,  as  is  claimed,  a  con- 
siderable allowance  has  to  be  made  for  the  wild  tribes  in  the  bush 
that  have  not  been  enumerated  and  cannot  be  taxed,  and  an 
addition  of  a  million  be  made  to  cover  that  unknown  factor,  the 
total  only  reaches  7,000,000,  which  is  less  than  the  population  of 
Belgium  itself  before  the  war.* 

It  is  not  to  be  claimed  that  polygamy  is  the  only 
cause  of  the  decrease  in  population.  There  are  other 
important  elements,  but  there  is  no  question  but  that 
polygamy  is  one  of  its  causes.  The  recent  report  of 
the  Government  Commission  for  the  Protection  of  the 
Natives  drew  attention  to  the  vice  of  polygamy  and 
recommended  severe  measures  for  its  suppression. 

1  The  estimate  of  population  given  by  Mr.  Wilson  is  based  upon  official 
government  figures.  Many  authorities  believe,  however,  that  the  untaxed 
peoples  in  the  remoter  sections  are  far  more  numerous  than  is  here  indi- 
cated. The  estimate  of  twelve  million  given  in  the  previous  chapter  is 
taken  from  the  report  presented  by  Rev.  Thos.  Moody  a%  the  General  Con- 
ference at  Bolenge. 


A  MASK 
From  the  Upper  Congo 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  57 

The  wholesome  effect  of  Christianity  in  increasing 
the  population  is  manifest  everywhere,  Mr.  Wilson 
further  adds,  "  Everything  we  saw  and  heard  con- 
firmed the  impression  that  wherever  missions  are 
established  and  have  won  influence,  the  population  in- 
creases." Rev.  Paul  M.  Metzger  cites  the  case  of 
Tshumbiri  on  the  main  river.  A  decade  or  so  ago 
hardly  a  child  was  to  be  seen,  but  at  the  present  day, 
following  a  vigorous  presentation  of  Christianity  with 
its  monogamistic  standard,  the  little  black  babies  are 
tumbling  aUout  in  every  direction. 

Superstition  is  the  underlying  basis  of  the  fetish  sys- 
tem. It  is  the  prevailing  pestilence  which  walks  in 
darkness,  poisoning  every  spring  of  social  life.  It  is 
the  mother  of  the  poison  ordeal  and  the  support  of  the 
witch-doctor.  The  terrible  language  of  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Romans  is  fulfilled  well-nigh  literally  among 
them : 

They  have  exchanged  the  glory  of  the  immortal  God  for  the 
semblance  of  the  likeness  of  mortal  man,  of  birds,  of  quadrupeds, 
and  of  reptiles.  So  God  has  given  them  up  to  their  heart's 
lust.  .  .  Yes,  as  they  disdain  to  acknowledge  God  any  longer,  God 
has  given  them  up  to  a  reprobate  instinct  for  the  perpetration  of 
what  is  improper  till  they  are  filled  with  all  manner  of  wicked- 
ness, depravity,  lust,  and  viciousness. 

At  the  very  gateway  of  Congo  Beige,  as  one  steams 
up  the  river  toward  Matadi,  is  seen  a  frowning  rock 
rising  sheer  from  the  river.  It  is  known  as  Fetish 
Rock,  and  it  was  from  the  summit  of  this  rock  that 
those  accused  of  witchcraft  were  thrown  to  test  their 
guilt.  Similarly  there  is  a  precipitous  mountain  near 
the  railroad  just  beyond  Palabala  which  served  the 
same  purpose.  If  the  accused  died  it  was  a  sufficient 
indication  of  guilt.     If  they  were  merely  maimed  it 


58  Rock-Breakers 


was  proof  of  innocence ;  wounds,  bruises,  and  broken 
limbs  were  merely  incidental  and  had  no  relation  to 
the  outcome. 

The  poison  ordeal  was  an  even  commoner  method  of 
testing  guilt.  Illness  or  misfortune  furnished  the 
witch-doctor  with  an  occasion  for  accusing  one  or 
more  of  the  people  of  the  village  of  witchcraft. 
Caprice  alone  or  personal  interest  governed  the  ac- 
cusation, and  it  may  easily  be  understood  what  an 
admirable  method  was  thus  given  the  witch-doctor  for 
disposing  of  his  enemies.  The  nkasa  or  poison  was  ad- 
ministered. If  the  victim  promptly  vomited  it  he  was 
presumed  innocent.  If  he  died  of  the  poison  guilt  was 
established  and  justice  vindicated  at  the  same  time. 

The  system  gives  rise  to  curious  perversions  of 
judgment  as  well  as  moral  sense.  A  missionary  once 
took  advantage  of  the  poison  ordeal  to  ascertain  the 
innocence  or  otherwise  of  certain  Kroo  boys  whom  he 
suspected  of  having  stolen  and  eaten  canned  roast 
beef.  The  English  is  the  peculiar  West  Coast  product. 
"  No,  no,  massa,  we  mission  boy,  we  no  tief."  "  Very 
well,"  said  the  missionary,  "  I  shall  give  you  medicine, 
and  then  I  shall  know."  The  boys  were  a  little  non- 
plussed, but  evidently  drew  broad  distinction  between 
their  own  witch-doctors  and  the  missionary.  They 
argued  thus :  "  The  white  man  would  not  poison  us, 
we  need  not  be  afraid."  So  they  added  aloud,  "  All 
right,  white  man,  you  see,  we  no  tief."  He  gave  each 
of  them  a  good  dose  of  wine  of  ipecac.  The  boys 
were,  of  course,  all  very  sick,  and  taking  this  as  proof 
of  their  innocence  according  to  the  common  practise 
of  the  poison  ordeal,  they  said  to  the  missionary, 
"  There,  you  see  Kroo  boys  no  tief — good  honest  mis- 
sion boy."     The  white  man,  however,  was  able  to  point 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  59 

to  the  corpus  delicti  of  their  offense,  which  somewhat 
upset  their  philosophy  of  the  poison  ordeal. 

The  fetish  is  a  very  powerful  factor  in  the  life  of  the 
African  native.  He  will  make  a  fetish  of  almost  any- 
thing and  attribute  great  powers  to  it.  Coincidence 
has  most  to  do  with  the  acquisition  of  a  reputation  by 
any  particular  fetish.  They  sometimes  lose  their 
power  and  are  discarded.  Certain  individuals  mani- 
fest greater  credulity  than  others  in  the  power  of  the 
fetish.  Some  possess  great  numbers  of  them  and  have 
a  place  set  aside  in  an  inner  room  to  contain  them. 

Occasionally  a  famous  fetish  will  dominate  a  whole 
village  for  many  years.  It  is  astonishing  the  tenacity 
of  the  hold  certain  fetishes  will  have  at  times.  The 
village  of  Ndunga  is  near  Lukunga.  This  is  one  of 
the  earliest  sections  in  Congo  to  be  evangelized.  They 
have  had  the  gospel  for  more  than  forty  years.  The 
chief  of  the  village  Manankuta  possessed  a  very 
famous  fetish  named  Ngundu.  It  came  originally  from 
Luweno  and  was  reputed  to  be  more  than  a  hundred 
years  old.  The  witch-doctor  often  carried  on  cere- 
monies in  connection  with  it  for  two  weeks  at  a  time, 
and  it  was  the  source  of  much  wealth  to  its  owner. 

Ndunga  remainjed  a  little  island  of  heathenism  in 
the  tide  of  advancing  Christianity.  Preachers  were 
sent  repeatedly,  but  the  message  was  refused.  The 
people  would  not  permit  any  house  in  the  village  to 
be  used  for  the  meetings.  A  tent  was  put  up  in  the 
village  for  the  preacher,  Moyenda.  to  live  in.  The  vil- 
lagers pulled  it  down  at  night,  brought  it  to  the  sta- 
tion, and  threw  it  down  outside  the  mission  house. 

Within  recent  days  two  church-members  from  an- 
other field  came  to  the  village.  The  people  tried  to 
get  them  to  drink  palm-wine,  to  dance,  and  to  take 


60  Rock-Breakers 


plural  wives.  They  refused,  and  their  consistent 
testimony  won  others,  until  the  Christian  group  had 
grown  large  enough  to  wield  considerable  influence. 
The  villagers  decided  a  few  months  ago  to  destroy 
the  great  fetish  Ngundu,  and  Budimbu,  one  of  the 
teachers  at  Lukunga,  knowing  of  the  writer's  proposed 
visit,  induced  them  to  give  it  to  him. 

This  fetish  has  a  reputation  for  curing  yaws.  The 
witch-doctor  throws  a  cloth  over  the  image,  places  eggs 
and  a  calabash  of  palm-wine  under  the  cloth,  perhaps 
also  a  live  chicken.  Then  he  prays  somewhat  after 
this  fashion :  "  You  must  make  this  sick  person  well, 
and  when  he  has  recovered  we  will  pay  you  whatever 
you  want.  These  things  are  merely  a  preliminary 
present."  Afterwards  he  beats  the  drum  and  sings. 
Later  the  cloth  is  taken  off,  and  the  egg-shells  are 
found  to  be  empty  and  the  chicken  killed.  Even  so 
recently  as  last  year  the  power  of  the  witch-doctor 
seemed  firmly  fastened  upon  the  people  of  this  village. 
"  Why  does  the  white  man  need  all  these  buildings?" 
they  asked  Budimbu.  He  replied  :  "  One  is  a  dwelling, 
one  a  school;  then  there  is  a  church,  a  house  for  the 
boys,  and  a  store-house."  "  No,"  they  insisted,  "  he 
uses  them  in  which  to  keep  the  souls  of  our  people 
whom  he  eats." 

The  influence  which  a  Christian  teacher  may  wield 
is  well  shown  in  the  following  incident  which  oc- 
curred in  a  village  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bolenge 
where  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission  is  work- 
ing. A  four-days-old  child  had  died.  The  parents 
went  to  the  witch-doctor,  who  accused  a  man  who  had 
gone  into  the  house  and  sat  near  the  child.  He  had 
some  native  medicine  bound  about  his  arm.  The  doc- 
tor claimed  that  this  had  caused  the  death  of  the  child. 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  61 

They  went  to  the  chief  about  it.  "  I  cannot  settle 
this  for  you,"  he  said,  "  it  is  God's  palaver,  g-o  to  the 
Christian  teacher."  This  they  did.  "  Oh,"  said  he, 
"  we  can  easily  settle  the  matter.  I  have  a  little  four- 
days-old  baby  myself.  Let  the  man  go  into  my  house 
and  sit  beside  the  little  one,  and  if  she  dies  he  is 
guilty."     The  parents  went  away  ashamed. 

Slavery  is  one  of  the  historic  evils  of  Africa.  We 
are  accustomed  to  take  it  for  granted  that  the  institu- 
tion of  slavery  was  forced  upon  Africa  by  the  white 
men  who  stole  her  sons  and  daughters  to  carry  across 
the  sea.  The  little  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Congo 
from  which  the  first  load  of  black  slaves  was  taken  for 
shipment  to  America  is  still  pointed  out,  but  the  cus- 
tom of  slavery  was  native  to  the  Congo  tribes  long 
before  the  coming  of  the  white  man,  and  while  the 
overseas  trading  in  "  black  ivory "  has  been  sup- 
pressed, slavery  still  flourishes  in  many  parts  of  Congo. 
Rev.  A.  R.  Stonelake  made  the  statement  at  the  Luebo 
Conference  that 

Two  slaves  were  brought  from  French  Congo  to  Lukolela  and 
were  sold  in  the  interior,  one  for  7,100  brass  rods  and  the  other 
for  7,000  rods.  One  of  these  women  became  sick,  but  her  former 
owners  refused  to  pay  back  the  money  saying  that  they  would 
exchange  a  healthy  woman  for  her. 

Rev.  E.  E.  Crist  said  that  "  during  a  period  of  some 
months  100  slaves  were  taken  from  French  Congo  to 
Kabinda  in  Portuguese  Congo."  Rev.  A.  F.  Hensey 
stated  that  "  domestic  slavery  is  interwoven  with  poly- 
gamy. Wives  are  seized  as  prizes  of  war,  tributes  to 
chiefs,  or  in  payment  of  debts,  but  these  wives  are 
really  slaves." 

Even  in  the  old  days  when  the  seizing  of  men  and 
women  for   exportation   was   carried   on   openly,  the 


62  Rock-Breakers 


native  had  a  large  and  willing  part  in  it.  The  Portu- 
guese did  not  enslave  the  people  on  the  coast.  They 
built  their  posts  and  slave-pens  upon  convenient  creeks 
along  the  coast  and  used  the  natives  in  the  neighbor- 
hood to  procure  the  slaves.  The  coast  natives  made 
up  slaving  parties,  proceeded  to  the  interior,  fell  upon 
a  sleeping  village,  stole  the  ivory,  captured  the  able- 
bodied  men  and  women,  chained  them  together,  and 
forced  them  to  carry  their  own  ivory  to  the  coast, 
where  both  were  sold. 

One  of  the  men  in  a  church  on  the  Bangu  range  of 
hills  tells  of  going  with  his  father,  when  a  child,  down 
into  the  Portuguese  Congo  to  trade  at  Ambrise.  Their 
party  was  always  a  strong  one,  fifty  or  more  in  num- 
ber, chosen  for  their  vigor  and  activity,  so  that  the 
Portuguese  and  black  slavers  dared  not  attack  them. 
But  they  were  very  careful  to  keep  together,  as  the 
slavers  were  always  ready  to  pounce  upon  stragglers. 

Cannibalism  was  probably  never  practised  by  the 
tribes  of  the  lower  Congo,  but  further  inland  it  was 
very  common,  and  though  strictly  prohibited  by  the 
Government  is  still  practised  not  infrequently  in  the 
remote  districts.  An  old  chief  in  the  Kwangu  district 
was  accustomed  until  very  recently  to  exact  the  tribute 
of  one  child  a  month  for  use  at  a  cannibal  feast.  A 
worker  upon  the  station  at  Vanga  traveling  alone  be- 
tween two  villages  at  night  was  killed  and  eaten. 
The  up-river  people  who  are  given  to  cannibalism, 
commonly  have  their  incisor  teeth  ground  to  a  sharp 
point.  The  callous  view  they  take  of  the  horrible 
practise  of  consuming  human  flesh  is  well  illustrated 
by  an  incident  related  by  Rev.  Joseph  Clark  of  Ntondo. 
He  said  to  a  certain  chief  one  day,  apropos  of  a  par- 
ticularly revolting  piece  of  cannibalism  : 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  63 

"  When  you  die  God  will  have  something-  to  say  to 
you  about  this  man  you  have  eaten." 

"  Why  should  he  ?  "  was  the  reply. 

"  Because  he  was  your  brother,  and  you  killed  and 
ate  him." 

"What  is  that  animal  at  your  feet?"  inquired  the 
chief. 

"  It's  a  goat." 

"Whose  is  it?" 

"  It  is  mine,"  answered  Mr.  Clark,  curious  as  to 
where  the  conversation  would  lead. 

"  Will  you  kill  and  eat  it  by  and  by  ? " 

"  Certainly,  if  I  wish  to." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  chief.  "  The  man  was  my 
slave ;  I  bought  him  with  my  money.  He  belonged  to 
me.  I  killed  and  ate  him.  Why  should  Nzambi  have 
anything  to  say  to  me  about  him  when  I  die?  " 

One  of  the  greatest  triumphs  of  the  g"ospel  is  to  see 
stalwart  men  who  formerly  were  eaters  of  human  flesh 
now  giving  their  lives  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  among  their  fellows,  and  this  is  no  un- 
common sight  in  certain  interior  sections.  Dr.  D.  L. 
Mumpower,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mis- 
sion (South),  tells  of  a  chief  in  his  neighborhood  who 
boasts  that  he  has  tasted  twenty-seven  white  men,  but 
it  is  probable  that  his  pride  in  the  achievement  leads 
to  exaggeration.  He  adds  that  they  have  now  bap- 
tized two  of  this  man's  wives. 

It  is  a  pleasure  and  relief  to  turn  from  the  darker 
phases  of  native  life  to  speak  of  some  of  their  more 
desirable  characteristics.  The  African  not  only  has 
native  vices,  but  native  virtues,  and  if  his  capacities 
for  spiritual  development  may  be  taken  into  account 
the  latter  outweigh  the  former.     Doctor  Mumpower 


64  Rock-Breakers 


sums  up  the  desirable  traits  of  the  native  character  as 
follows :  sunny  disposition,  sense  of  humor,  sympathy, 
respect,  loyalty,  faith,  readiness  to  forgive. 
,  Certainly  their  sunny  disposition  is  constantly  in 
evidence.  They  carry  with  them  a  decidedly  cheerful 
atmosphere.  They  make  admirable  traveling  com- 
panions and  are  always  ready  for  a  laugh  or  a  joke. 
They  will  make  an  amusing  incident  out  of  a  very  little 
thing,  and  their  laugh  is  so  contagious  that  one  must 
perforce  laugh  with  them.  Mafioti  is  a  man  about 
forty,  but  he  has  preserved  the  happiness  of  a  child. 
He  has  big  shining  eyes,  a  belt  of  tangled  whiskers 
running  from  ear  to  ear  under  his  chin,  joined  above 
by  a  fuzzy  little  black  moustache.  He  has  a  broad 
smiling  mouth  with  a  permanent  lift  to  the  outer  cor- 
ners of  his  lips.  Doctor  King  had  not  only  encouraged 
the  natives  in  the  use  of  soap  but  taught  some  of  them 
to  make  it.  Refining  upon  his  methods  he  added  some 
perfume  to  the  batch  on  a  certain  occasion,  and  a  piece 
of  this  scented  soap  fell  into  Mafioti's  hands.  He  came 
to  Doctor  King  anxiiuis  to  buy  more,  and  it  was  a  joy 
to  hear  him  tell  of  his  experience  with  it.  He  said  he 
had  taken  his  clothes  to  a  little  limpid  brook  for  wash- 
ing. This  wonderful  new  soap  made  beautiful  trans- 
lucent bubbles  upon  the  water.  It  was  of  such  a  sur- 
passing excellence  that  it  had  a  strange  and  enchanting 
perfume,  in  so  much  that  the  little  fishes  swam  up 
about  the  washing-place  to  smell  it.  Mafioti  told  the 
story  with  every  appearance  of  enjoyment,  making  the 
hills  ring  with  peal  after  peal  of  laughter. 

The  native  sense  of  humor  is  well  developed.  They 
are  quick  to  see  the  humorous  side  of  any  event. 
While  upon  the  road  they  often  carry  on  conversations 
about  the  white  men  who  are  with  them.     One  of  the 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  65 

most  interesting  of  their  accomplishments  is  the  im- 
provisation of  little  songs  which  they  sing  together 
while  paddling  their  canoes.  It  is  customary  for  one 
to  beat  time,  at  the  same  time  giving  the  theme  of  the 
song,  usually  in  a  tenor  voice.  The  refrain  follows 
immediately  in  deeper  tones  from  the  remainder  of 
the  crew.  Perfect  rhythm  is  preserved,  and  the  songs 
are  frequently  of  a  humorous  or  whimsical  cast. 
They  do  not  hesitate  to  comment  upon  the  personal 
characteristics  of  their  white  companions. 

Here  is  one  such  song  which  was  repeated  over  and 
over  again  as  the  canoe  approached  the  village  upon 
its  return  from  a  long  journey : 

Oh  mamma,  mamma,  lu  la  ley; 

Your  husband's  red  beard,  it  burns  all  day. 

The  song  quoted  in  Chapter  I  about  the  Governor  and 
his  little  daughter  continued  until  it  had  commented 
upon  every  member  in  the  party.  The  Governor's 
traveling  companion,  M.  Olyff  of  the  Colonial  Office, 
came  in  for  mention  thus : 

Bula  Matadi's  friend  has  very  white  hair — 
He's  happy,  he's  happy. 

One  of  the  songs  which  is  frequently  sung  on  the  upper 
river  runs  about  as  follows : 

The  white  man  has  fallen  in  the  water — 

Too  bad,  too  bad. 
The  white  man  is  drowned  in  the  river — 

Too  bad,  too  bad. 
Never  mind,  there  are  plenty  more  white  men. 

A  more  elaborate  song  may  be  rendered  as  follows, 
preserving  the  rhythm : 


66  Rock-Breakers 


The  white  man's  rooster  he  stood  up  straight, 

No  longer  will  he  do  that  way. 
The  white  man  will  eat  him,  he's  gone  to  meet  his  fate, 

The  white  man  eats  chicken  every  day. 

As  we  carried  the  planks,  we  ate  the  corn 

Of  the  woman  who  lives  by  the  way. 
She  said,  You  are  thieves,  those  planks  must  be  mine 

For  the  food  you  have  stolen  today. 

Doctor  Mumpower  is  unquestionably  correct  in  plac- 
ing sympathy,  respect,  and  loyalty  among  the  natural 
virtues  of  the  Congo  natives.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
establish  sympathetic  relations  with  them.  Kindness, 
consideration,  and  uniformly  just  dealing  will  weave 
firm  bonds  between  the  hearts  of  the  American  mis- 
sionary and  his  African  brother.  Mr.  W.  J.  W.  Roome 
states  that  Matthew  Wellington,  one  of  the  native  lads 
who  through  untold  hardships  carried  the  body  of 
Livingstone  to  the  coast,  is  still  living  as  a  devoted 
Christian  leader  in  Uganda.  Similar  instances  of  de- 
votion are  not  wanting  in  the  experience  of  every 
missionary.  Mr.  Murray,  the  Scotch  engineer  of  the 
S.  S.  Anversville,  has  great  confidence  in  the  loyalty 
and  faithfulness  of  the  Congo  boys.  He  has  been  em- 
ploying them  as  firemen  aboard  various  ships  for  more 
than  fifteen  years  and  states  that  they  always  respond 
to  kindness  and  justice.  He  has  forty-two  of  them  on 
board  the  Anversville  and  said  they  compared  with  the 
white  men  as  heaven  and  the  reverse.  During  the  war 
he  used  them  exclusively  as  stokers.  On  one  occasion 
when  they  were  chased  by  a  submarine,  the  crew  off 
duty  did  not  wait  to  be  called,  but  presented  them- 
selves at  the  fire-room  and  lent  enthusiastic  support  to 
the  men  on  duty. 

Their  faith  and  fervor  is  demonstrated  by  the  quick- 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  67 

ness  which  they  show,  when  once  the  gospel  has 
gained  access  to  their  hearts,  in  comprehending  Chris- 
tian teaching  and  in  their  readiness  to  join  in  the  task 
of  passing  it  on  to  their  fellows.  Many  of  the  Con- 
golese have  great  gifts  as  preachers  and  are  able  to 
move  their  audiences  in  a  remarkable  manner,  A 
striking  method  of  discourse  was  formerly  in  use  and 
is  now  to  some  extent,  whereby  the  speaker  frames  his 
passages  in  such  a  way  that  the  audience,  which  is  on 
the  alert  and  giving  necessarily  very  close  attention,  is 
able  to  supply  the  last  word  of  the  phrase,  which  they 
do  with  great  unction. 

The  native  discourse,  both  in  preaching  and  in  the 
frequent  palavers  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  is  en- 
riched by  the  use  of  many  proverbs.  An  able  speaker 
brings  in  these  ancient  sayings  with  great  skill,  and 
unless  his  opponent  is  able  to  cap  the  proverb  with  one 
equally  apt,  it  is  likely  to  prove  an  end  of  all  argument. 
Examples  of  native  proverbs  are  here  given,  several  of 
which  are  taken  from  Mr.  Ruskin's  book  entitled 
"  Mongo  Proverbs  and  Fables  " : 

The  dog  has  four  legs,  but  he  cannot  walk  in  two  paths. 

The  cockroach  is  never  justified  at  the  bar  of  the  rooster. 

The  man  with  a  tongue  can  never  be  lost. 

The  man  who  has  ears  (i.  e.,  Hstens  to  advice)  abides. 

Love  on  one  side  only  is  a  failure. 

Two  gardens,  no  hunger. 

Stop  frowning,  and  let  us  be  friends. 

Hand-shaking  does  not  reach  above  the  shoulder. 

The  intellectual  ability  displayed  in  these  proverbs 
and  in  a  much  more  marked  manner  in  the  folk  stories 
and  fables  which  abound  among  them,  is  not  men- 
tioned in  Doctor  Mumpower's  list  of  desirable  char- 
acteristics, but  is  none  the  less  of  the  very  greatest 


68  Rock-Breakers 


significance  when^  the  future  of  the  race  is  under 
consideration. 

In  a  paper  read  by  Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger  at  the 
Bolenge  Conference  on  "  The  Worth  of  the  Native  " 
the  theory  is  advanced  that  the  dawn  of  the  sexual 
life  marks  the  limit  of  the  African's  mental  develop- 
ment. Mr.  Bedinger  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  pre- 
cocity and  exuberance  of  sexual  development  robs  the 
native  of  the  possibility  of  great  mental  attainment,  the 
uncontrolled  riot  of  sexual  impulse  producing  atrophy 
or  at  least  arrest  of  the  higher  functions  of  the  brain. 
He  supports  this  view  by  the  statement  that  the 
greater  achievements  of  the  white  races  began  with 
the  conquest  of  the  sexual  instinct. 

Another  theory  which  has  been  advanced  to  account 
for  the  fact  that  the  African  native  makes  good  mental 
progress  until  about  the  age  of  puberty  and  then  ap- 
parently suffers  an  arrest  in  the  mental  life,  is  that  the 
cranial  sutures  ossify  at  an .  early  age  and  prevent 
further  expansion  of  the  cerebrum.  It  is  fair  to  raise 
the  question  whether  either  of  tJhese  explanations  is 
valid,  and  indeed  whether  the  fac^  alleged  as  requir- 
ing explanation  are  well-verified  (     nervations. 

There  can  be  no  question  of  tl  evil  which  results 
to  the  native  both  physically,  mentally,  and  spiritually 
from  the  lack  of  control  of  the  sexual  impulse.  It  may 
also  be  admitted  that  the  African's  skull  is  of  the 
hardest,  but  may  it  not  also  be  true  that  the  poverty 
of  his  mental  attainments  is  due  in  large  measure  to 
the  meagerrj.ess  of  his  educational  opportunity? 

The  Government  of  Congo  Beige  has  so  far  made 
no  move  in  the  direction  of  the  establishment  of  a 
public-school  system  for  the  natives.  The  missionary 
societies  are  doing  what  their  resources  permit  to  make 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  69 

up  for  the  deficiency,  but  in  the  past  the  emphasis  in 
missionary  service  has  been  rightly  placed  upon  direct 
evangelization  rather  than  education,  and  it  is  still  true 
that  there  is  no  secondary  school  throughout  all  the 
vast  colony.  The  General  Conference  in  its  meeting 
at  Bolenge  recognized  this  lack  and  made  recom- 
mendations looking  tow^ard  further  cooperative  de- 
velopment of  the  educational  system.  It  may  be  con- 
fidently said  that  the  time  has  now  come  for  Congo 
missions  to  enter  upon  a  new^  phase  wherein  the  em- 
phasis shall  be  placed  upon  the  development  of  high- 
class  native  leadership  through  Christian  education 
specially  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  African. 

It  cannot  be  gainsaid  that  brains  capable  of  produc- 
ing such  stories  as  are  here  recounted  are  worthy  of 
full  development.  The  following  story  was  related  to 
me  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Hill,  for  twenty-five  years  a  mis- 
sionary among  the  Bakongo  and  still  in  active  service : 

How  THE  Animals  Got  Their  Tails 

Once  upon  a  time  all  animals  were  tailless.  The  blacksmith 
sent  out  a  proclamation  that  if  they  would  come  to  him  on  a  cer- 
tain day  he  would  make  tails  for  them.  At  the  appointed  time 
the  animals  appeared  and  presented  themselves  one  after  another 
to  the  blacksmith.  There  were  the  elephant,  the  kangaroo,  the 
monkey,  the  lion,  the  rhinoceros,  the  leopard,  and  all  the  beasts 
of  the  forest.  The  blacksmith  was  industrious ;  he  set  to  work, 
made  a  tail  for  each  animal,  and  they  went  away  happy,  swinging, 
twirling,  and  twitching  their  tails  as  they  went. 

Presently  they  met  a  toad  upon  the  path  and  stopped  to  greet 
him. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Toad,"  said  the  leopard,  "  where  are  you 
going?" 

"  I  am  going  to  the  blacksmith  for  my  tail." 

"Too  late,"  replied  the  leopard,  "yesterday  was  the  day  ap- 
pointed by  the  blacksmith." 

"  Ah,"  said  the  toad,  "  but  yesterday  I  was  very  busy  and 
F 


70  Rock-Breakers 


could  not  go.    I  am  sure  he  will  make  a  tail  for  me  today." 
And  he  hopped  away  down  the  path.    Arriving  at  the  blacksmith's 
house,  he  greeted  the  latter  cordially: 
"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Blacksmith." 

"  For  what  have  you  come  today  ?  "  gruffly  responded  the  black- 
smith. 
"  Please,  sir,"  the  toad  replied,  "  I  have  come  for  my  tail." 
"  Too  late !  "  said  the  blacksmith.     "  Yesterday  was  the  day." 
"  I  was  busy  yesterday,"  answered  the  toad,  "  and  could  not 
come.     Surely  you  will  not  be  so  unkind  as  to  send  me  away 
tailless." 

But  the  blacksmith  was  unrelenting.  He  would  not  listen  to 
Mr.  Toad's  pleadings.  The  latter  went  away  weeping,  and  to 
this  day  all  toads  are  tailless. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mrs.  Paul  C.  Metzger,  of  Tshum- 
biri,  for  the  opportunity  of  hearing  the  story  given  be- 
low from  the  lips  of  an  intelligent  elderly  Christian 
woman  of  Tshumbiri,  Loyalobe.  We  were  seated  in 
the  dusk  of  the  evening  about  the  wood  cooking-fire. 
She  related  the  story  dramatically,  suiting  tone  of 
voice  and  gesture  to  the  action  of  the  story.  A  group 
of  girls  was  gathered  about  her,  their  eyes  shining  in 
the  flickering  firelight,  alert  to  join  in  the  swinging 
refrains  which  the  story  introduces  or  to  make  the 
rhythmical  responses  for  which  the  narrator  sometimes 
waited.  A  cool  evening  breeze  stirred  the  leaves  of 
the  bushes,  and  the  story  was  punctuated  by  the  fall- 
ing of  the  ripe  mangoes  from  the  tree  behind  us.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Metzger  interpreted  by  turns.  I  have  en- 
deavored to  preserve  the  simplicity  of  the  language 
and  to  reproduce  in  English  the  rhythm  of  the  refrains. 

The  Story  of  Elolo 

There  was  once  a  woman  who  had  seven  children.  She  planted 
an  eggplant  (elolo),  which  flourished  and  bore  fruit.  One  day 
before  she  went  to  her  work  she  called  the  children  and  said  to 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  71 


them :  "  I  do  not  wish  you  to  eat  the  eggplant.  Manioc  you 
may  eat,  and  fish  you  may  eat,  but  you  must  on  no  account  eat 
the  fruit  of  the  eggplant." 

When  she  had  gone  the  youngest  child  looked  upon  the  egg- 
plant and  straightway  desired  it.  Plucking  the  ripest  of  the  fruit 
she  quickly  ate  it.  The  eldest  child  remonstrated  with  her.  "  Oh 
why  did  you  take  the  elolo  which  Mother  warned  us  not  to  eat?" 

In  the  evening  the  Mother  returned,  and  perceiving  that  the 
fruit  was  gone  she  said : 

"  I  gave  you  fish  and  palm-nuts  and  manioc.  Who  has  eaten 
the  elolo?" 

But  they  all  denied,  saying: 

"  Mother,  I  did  not  eat  the  elolo." 

The  mother  went  to  the  forest,  cut  a  long  trailing  vine,  and 
stretched  it  across  the  stream. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  "  you  must  all  cross  the  vine,  and  the  one 
who  has  disobeyed  me  will  be  unable  to  do  so." 

The  eldest  stepped  out  on  the  vine,  and  as  she  did  so  she 
began  to  sing: 

"  Mamma,  mamma,  mamma,  I  did  not  eat ; 
I'm  crossing  now  j'our  line, 
I  did  not  eat,  though  the  fruit  looked  sweet, 
And  I'm  safely  over  the  vine." 

As  she  concluded  the  verse  she  sprang  safely  to  the  other  side 
of  the  stream.  [All  the  girls  gathered  about  Loyalobe  join  in  the 
rhythmic  chant,  and  the  very  tone  of  the  voice  expresses  their 
breathless  interest  in  the  child  as  she  undergoes  the  test.] 

The  second  child  ventures  across  and  the  song  is  repeated  until 
she  reaches  safety.  So  with  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth.  The 
sixth  steps  out  upon  the  rope  of  creeper,  and  again  the  refrain 
follows  every  movement : 

"  Mamma,  mamma,  mamma,  I  did  not  eat ; 
I'm  crossing  now  your  line. 
I  did  not  eat,  though  the  fruit  looked  sweet, 
And  I'm  safely  over  the  vine." 

At  last  it  is  the  turn  of  the  seventh  and  youngest  child.  Fal- 
teringly  she  steps  out  upon  the  vine  and  begins  to  sing, 

"  Mamma,  mamma,  mamma,  I  did  not  eat " — 


72  Rock-Breakers 


But  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  the  vine  begins  to  sink  with 
her.  She  touches  the  water,  and  her  ankles  are  immersed,  but 
she  sings  the  refrain  stedfastly  to  the  end.  She  sinks  until  her 
knees  are  covered,  but  again  she  repeats  the  verse.  Now  it  is 
her  thighs,  then  her  chest,  then  her  neck,  and  as  each  part  of  the 
body  is  named  the  chorus  renders  the  entire  refrain.  Now  she  is 
immersed  up  to  her  chin.  She  stretches  her  arms  up  to  her 
mother,  throws  back  her  head,  and  sings  again.  Then  she  sinks 
completely  under  the  water. 

In  the  water  she  turns  into  a  fish,  the  lalemhe.  There  is  a 
fishing-camp  not  far  away,  where  there  is  a  man  who  has  no 
wife,  fishing.  He  catches  the  fish  in  his  net,  and  as  he  is  taking 
it  out,  it  grunts  and  says, 

"  I  was  one  of  your  people." 

He  puts  it  in  the  canoe  and  takes  his  knife  to  kill  it.  But  the 
fish  takes  up  a  rhythmic  song: 

"  Do  not  kill  me,  I  am  just  like  you, 
Kongo,  konga,  konga." 

[All  the  girls  about  Loyalobe  respond,  Konga,  konga,  konga.] 
Nevertheless  he  kills  the  fish  and  starts  down  the  river  in  his 
canoe.    Whenever  he  touches  this  strange  fish  it  says, 

"  Do  not  touch  me,  I  am  just  like  you, 
Konga,  konga,  konga." 

Landing  lower  down  the  river,  he  starts  to  cut  up  the  fish  he 
has  caught.  When  he  comes  to  the  lalemhe  it  varies  the  old 
refrain  by  saying: 

"  Do  not  cut  me,  I  am  just  like  you, 
Konga,  konga,  konga." 

He  cuts  it  in  two,  however,  and  after  cooking  some  of  the 
other  fish  and  eating,  he  goes  to  clean  and  care  for  his  canoe. 
WTiile  he  was  gone  the  fish  began  a  magic  formula, 

"  Put  me  together  again, 
Put  me  together  again, 
My  hands,  my  feet,  my  eyes." 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


Primitive  People  and  Their  Powers  73 

[The  narrator  goes  through  the  various  parts  of  the  body,  e.  g., 
"  my  hands,"  and  the  group  makes  instant  response,  "  together." 
The  leader  continues,  "  my  feet,"  and  again  the  reply  comes,  "  to- 
gether"; "my  shoulders,"  "together."] 

Very  soon  the  young  girl  finds  herself  complete  again,  and  this 
time  not  as  a  fish,  but  in  her  proper  person.  Then  she  begins  to 
knead  bread,  saying, 

"  If  I  make  good  bread,  and  prepare  savory  food,  I  may  get  a 
good  husband." 

After  she  has  prepared  a  fine  meal  she  waits  and  waits,  but  no 
husband  appears.  Becoming  discouraged  she  reverses  the  in- 
cantation, singing : 


'  Change  me,  change  me. 
Take  away,  take  away, 

My  arms,  my  legs ; 
Make  me  a  fish  again, 
Change  me,  change  me." 


When  the  fisherman  returns  he  sees  the  good  meal  prepared, 
looks  around,  and  says, 

"Where  did  all  this  good  food  come  from?" 

Then  he  proceeds  to  eat  to  repletion.  Returning  to  camp  he 
says  to  himself :  "  I  never  saw  such  wonderful  things.  What 
shall  I  do  with  the  remarkable  fish?  " 

While  at  camp  a  palm-tree  cutter  said  to  him :  "  When  I  was 
up  a  palm  tree  I  saw  your  fish  turn  into  a  woman  and  back  again. 
You  had  better  hide  that  fish  away,  or  you  will  see  trouble." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  fisherman,  "  I  will  hide  and  see  this 
wonderful  thing  for  myself."  So  he  watched  from  behind  a 
palm  tree. 

Again  the  fish  went  through  the  mystic  process : 

"  Put  me  together  again. 
Put  me  together  again. 

My  hands,  my  feet,  my  head." 

Again  she  becomes  a  maiden,  and  while  she  kneads  bread  he 
steals  softly  upon  her  and  catches  her  in  his  arms. 
"  Don't  touch  me,"  she  says. 
"  I've  got  you,  I've  got  you,"  he  replies. 
Thus  the  fisherman  won  his  bride. 


74  Rock-Breakers 


Five  children  were  born  to  them  subsequently.  One  day  when 
the  father  was  going  fishing  one  of  the  children  begged  to  accom- 
pany him.  They  caught  a  large  fish,  and  the  child  asked  the 
privilege  of  killing  it. 

"  No,"  replied  the  father,  "  you  are  not  strong  enough."  How- 
ever the  child  snatched  the  knife  and  struck  at  the  fish.  He  was 
too  weak  to  kill  it,  and  it  escaped.  The  father  was  very  angry 
and  said,  "  You  get  away  from  here,  your  mother  was  a  fish." 
This  caused  the  child  to  cry  bitterly,  and  he  sang  over  and  over 
again  as  he  cried: 

"  My  mother  was  a  fish,  and  I  didn't  know, 
My  father  is  a  fisherman  and  told  me  so." 

When  they  returned  the  child  ran  weeping  to  his  mother  and 
sang  the  same  song,  which  made  the  mother  very  sorrowful. 
She  said  nothing  about  it  to  the  father,  but  made  up  her  mind 
to  run  away  while  he  was  fishing. 

The  next  day  she  took  the  other  canoe  and  the  five  children, 
gathered  together  all  her  husband's  money  and  valuables,  and  left. 

The  husband  returned  and  pursued  them  in  his  canoe.  The 
wife  paddling  ahead  turned  around  and  saw  him.  She  immedi- 
ately used  an  incantation,  calling  upon  the  darkness  to  surround 
him  while  the  Ught  remained  with  her.  He  still  advanced,  and 
she  sent  the  bees  to  molest  and  sting  him.  In  spite  of  all  he 
continued  to  paddle,  and  she  sent  stinging  gnats  to  tickle  his 
eyes  and  nose.  Finally  she  dipped  her  hand  in  the  water  and 
stirred  up  a  terrible  wind  against  him,  and  he  was  lost. 

Weary  with  long  paddling,  she  reached  the  place  where  her 
relatives  lived.  She  went  ashore  and  sank  exhausted  upon  the 
beach.  By  and  by  a  man  from  the  village  saw  her  and  recognized 
her  as  the  long  lost  girl.  He  rushed  back  to  the  village  and 
told  them  about  it,  upon  which  they  all  came  to  welcome  her. 

Ewe  tio,  eive  same — You've  heard  it  all,  the  story  is  ended. 


IV 


THE  POTENCY  OF  REDEEMED 
LIVES 


"  In  the  Congo  region  the  line  between  heathen  and  Christian 
is  very  marked.  In  fact,  they  are  called,  in  the  native  language, 
the  children  of  God  and  the  children  of  the  devil.  The  heathen 
call  themselves  the  children  of  the  devil.  Some  of  our  Christians 
have  suffered  martyrdom — some  have  been  poisoned,  others  have 
been  shot — but  they  are  willing  to  suffer  persecution  for  Christ." 

— Henry  Richards. 


THE  POTENCY  OF  REDEEMED  LIVES 


Redeemed,  the  African  native's  best  characteristics 
come  to  the  fore,  and  he  becomes  a  Christian  brother 
of  earnestness,  sincerity,  devotion,  and  ability.  The 
immediate  effect  of  the  gospel  upon  the  African  is  to 
act  as  an  inhibitory  power  upon  all  the  undesirable 
habits  woven  into  his  character  by  ages  of  ignorance, 
vice,  and  superstition.  Every  impulse  to  good  is 
promptly  reenforced,  and  new  accretions  of  power 
come  to  him  day  by  day  in  the  overcoming  of  evil. 

What  the  African's  ultimate  possibilities  may  be, 
who  can  say?  But  the  great  achievements  of  out- 
standing American  Negroes  may  be  recalled,  and  it 
should  not  be  forgotten  that  they  are  of  the  very  same 
stock.  It  was  from  Congo  that  the  Southern  States 
were  peopled  with  blacks.  In  certain  sections  of  Cuba 
and  Jamaica  it  is  said  that  words  of  the  Congo  lan- 
guages still  persist.  If  American  Negroes  are  capable 
of  greatness  and  goodness,  as  much  may  be  expected 
from  Congo  Negroes.  The  rudimentary  powers  are 
there,  and  favorable  environment  and  proper  cultiva- 
tion will  strengthen  these  powers  until  they  become 
the  dominant  factors  in  the  life. 

The  Congo  native  has  a  bitter  battle  to  fight;  the 
struggle  upward  is  against  well-nigh  overwhelming 
odds.  Few  peoples  confront  such  formidable  foes.  There 
is  the  accumulated  downward  pull  of  inherited  evil ;  there 
are  social  customs  of  revolting  nature  entrenched  through 
the  sanction  of  years;  there  is  the  physical  detriment 

77 


78  Rock-Breakers 


of  a  tropical  climate;  there  is  the  evil  example  of  white 
leaders.  No  wonder  that  the  way  is  strewn  with  heart- 
break for  the  missionary  who  has  taken  the  black 
man's  hand  to  help  him  struggle  upward,  and  who  some- 
times sees  the  patient  progress  of  years  swept  away  in 
a  day. 

Great  and  encouraging  progress  has  been  made  dur- 
ing the  four  decades  wdiich  have  elapsed  since  the 
opening  of  Congo  to  the  gospel.  Perhaps  this  prog- 
ress can  be  best  marked  by  consideration  of  the  lower 
Congo  field,  inasmuch  as  it  is  here  that  the  work  has 
been  carried  on  longest  and  the  field  most  thoroughly 
manned.  Two  Societies  have  been  at  virork  in  this 
section  of  Congo  for  more  than  forty  years,  the  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  whose  work 
started  in  1878  as  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission,  and 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  of  England.  By  these 
two  Societies,  with  the  subsequent  help  of  the  Swedish 
Missionary  Society  and  the  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  the  lower  Congo  has  been  quite  thoroughly 
evangelized. 

What  of  the  results?  To  a  stranger  observing  for 
the  first  time  the  effects  of  the  gospel  seed-sowing 
throughout  this  territory  the  results  are  little  short  of 
marvelous.  I  think  it  may  be  said  without  the  slight- 
est exaggeration  that  there  are  certain  sections  of 
lower  Congo  where  the  people  are  more  familiar  with 
the  Bible  and  Christian  truth  than  in  the  average  New 
England  village. 

The  missionaries  have  given  to  the  people  first  of  all 
a  God.  True,  they  knew  of  a  god  behind  nature's 
phenomena,  but  any  real  knowledge  of  him  was  ob- 
scured and  confused  by  the  superstitions  of  animism 
and  the  vile  practises  of  the  witch-doctor.     The  name 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  79 

only  of  Nzambi  was  known  to  them.  The  missionary 
has  put  a  content  into  it  for  them  until  God  has  be- 
come a  loving  Father  and  an  ever-present  Saviour. 

Secondly,  the  missionary  has  given  them  a  Bible,  and 
this  means  much  more  than  might  at  first  be  supposed, 
for  not  only  could  none  of  them  read,  but  their  lan- 
guages had  not  been  reduced  to  writing.  The  Bible 
has  been  translated,  and  a  beginning  has  been  made,  a 
very  modest  one  to  be  sure,  in  the  provision  of  a 
native  literature.  It  was  one  thing  to  translate  the 
Bible,  however,  and  another  to  get  it  into  their  hearts 
and  lives,  but  this  also  seems  to  have  been  done,  and  it 
is  an  inspiration  to  hear  their  familiar  use  of  the  word 
in  preaching  and  teaching.  One  of  the  teachers 
stated  that  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  people  in  some  of  his 
villages  could  read.  This  is  probably  an  overestimate, 
but  none  the  less  it  may  be  stated  with  assurance  that 
there  are  those  in  each  village  who  can  and  do  read 
the  word  of  God  to  their  fellows. 

Thirdly,  the  missionary  has  given  the  people  a  religious 
terminology.  When  dealing  with  the  bigger  and  better 
things  of  life  primitive  peoples  are  naturally  inarticu- 
late, but  the  coming  of  Christianity  has  interpreted 
these  people  to  themselves.  They  know  what  love, 
peace,  joy,  justice,  truth,  goodness,  and  purity  are. 
They  know  what  it  means  to  walk  in  the  light  and 
have  fellowship  with  Christ.  They  understand  the 
significance  of  striving  against  evil  and  seeking  the 
best  things.  Their  lives  are  infinitely  enriched  by  the 
full  content  of  the  Christian  faith.  Perhaps  the  phrase- 
ology of  the  Christian  hymns  has  done  as  much  as 
anything  else  to  give  them  a  Christian  speech.  They 
are  very  fond  of  these  hymns,  and  one  hears  them 
singing  and  whistling  them  constantly. 


80  Rock-Breakers 


Fourthly,  the  missionary  has  given  them  a  new  moral 
standard.  It  must  be  remembered  that  their  lives  were 
not  without  ethical  content  prior  to  the  coming  of  the 
gospel.  They  had  certain  moral  judgments  of  their 
own,  especially  those  dealing  with  the  obligation  of 
loyalty  to  the  tribe.  Many  of  their  rules  regarding 
penalties  for  theft,  conduct  in  relation  to  wife  and 
family,  and  other  ordinary  moral  sanctions  still  per- 
sist. But  it  has  been  necessary  for  Christianity  to 
revolutionize  the  whole  system.  Certain  customs  and 
practises  had  to  be  absolutely  eradicated,  such  as  the 
poison  ordeal  and  fetish-worship,  others  had  to  be 
modified,  and  many  new  moral  ideas  had  to  be  im- 
ported. It  may  be  said  that  the  missionaries  have  suc- 
ceeded at  least  in  establishing  ordinary  Christian 
morality  as  the  norm,  however  far  the  community  as 
a  whole  may  still  be  from  the  fulfilment  of  it. 

Fifthly,  the  missionary  has  brought  them  a  more 
ordered  life.  The  teacher  and  preacher  have  been 
established  in  many  sections  as  a  settled  institution. 
The  frequent  tribal  wars  of  others  days  have  almost 
disappeared.  Much  has  been  taught  the  people  about 
the  establishment  of  villages  and  the  amicable  settle- 
ment of  disputes. 

Sixthly,  the  missionary  has  brought  about  the  suppres- 
sion of  polygamy,  at  least  within  the  native  church.  It 
is  not  a  difficult  matter  for  wealthy  church-members 
to  relapse  in  this  respect,  but  at  least  the  principle  of 
monogamy  is  established,  and  any  violation  of  it  is 
met  at  once  with  severe  discipline.  Moreover,  the 
practise  of  the  Christian  church  has  largely  modified 
public  opinion,  and  polygamy  is  not  so  common  as 
formerly  even  outside  the  church.  A  constant  battle  must 
be  waged  to  keep  the  gains  made. 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  81 

Seventhly,  in  addition  to  the  suppression  of  polygamy 
womanhood  has  been  liberated  and  dignified  in  other 
respects.  There  is  still  a  good  deal  to  be  desired  in 
this  respect.  The  Congolese  is  a  preeminent  exponent 
of  the  primacy  of  the  male,  and  old  customs  die  hard, 
but  woman  is  gradually  coming  into  her  own.  Many 
missionaries  have  endeavored  to  induce  the  Christian 
couple  to  take  their  meals  together  after  the  fashion 
of  a  Christian  home.  This  practise  has  not  yet  been 
widely  adopted  but  a  beginning  has  been  made. 

Eighthly,  the  missionary  has  struck  a  fatal  blow  at 
witchcraft  and  the  witch-doctor.  The  latter's  failures 
and  the  many  times  he  has  been  made  the  laughing- 
stock of  the  people  by  the  superiority  of  the  mission- 
aries' methods  over  his  own  have  greatly  undermined 
his  influence.  Fetishism,  or  at  least  the  animistic 
basis  of  popular  philosophy,  is  so  interwoven  into  the 
very  fiber  of  the  daily  life  of  every  Congo  native  that 
it  would  be  foolish  to  say  that  it  has  anywhere  been 
overcome.  The  remnants  of  superstition  persisting  in 
the  oldest  and  highest  civilizations  indicate  the  stub- 
born resistance  which  such  ancient  credulities  present 
to  advancing  light.  But  the  great  dominant  principles 
of  Christ's  philosophy  of  truth  and  light  have  been 
firmly  implanted,  and  the  power  of  fetishism  as  a  sys- 
tem is  certainly  broken. 

Ninthly,  cleanliness  is  another  gift  of  the  missionary 
to  the  Congo.  The  use  of  soap  accompanies  the  teaching 
of  the  Scripture,  and  many  of  the  missionaries  have  not 
only  mastered  the  art  of  soap-making  themselves  but  have 
taught  it  to  the  natives. 

Tenthly,  total  abstinence  is  practically  a  universal  re- 
quirement for  church-membership,  and  infractions  are  met 
with  prompt  discipline.    It  has  spared  the  infant  church 


82  Rock-Breakers 


much  evil  and  has  redeemed  many  Hves  which  would 
have  been  cast  away. 

Eleventhly,  the  medical  missionary  especially,  but  also 
the  whole  body  of  missionaries,  has  made  a  great  contri- 
bution to  native  betterment  by  teaching  the  African 
simple  rules  of  hygiene  and  physiology.  The  physician 
has  also  done  much  to  limit  the  spread  of  epidemic  and 
endemic  disease  and  given  skilful  medical  and  surgical 
aid  to  countless  thousands  of  cases.  The  Christian  native 
is  a  stronger  and  better  physical  being  because  of  the 
coming  of  the  missionary.  Communities  where  child  life 
was  almost  non-existent  have  been  redeemed  and  re- 
juvenated. 

Twelfthly,  the  native  home  has  been  lifted  to  a  higher 
level.  Rev.  Seymour  E.  Moon  expresses  this  idea  by 
saying  that  Christianity  has  taken  the  native  from  the 
floor  and  seated  him  upon  a  chair.  Christianity  spells 
ambition.  The  converted  African  wants  what  he  sees, 
and  the  spectacle  of  the  missionary  home  is  a  constant 
stimulus  to  him  to  strive  after  better  things.  The 
neighborhood  of  every  mission  station  is  marked  by 
better  houses,  more  numerous  possessions,  more  civil- 
ized practises,  and  a  larger  variety  of  clothing. 

It  should  be  emphasized  that  what  has  been  said 
regarding  the  results  of  missionary  service  is  especially 
applicable  to  lower  Congo,  where  work  has  been  car- 
ried on  for  a  longer  period  than  in  other  sections. 
This  district  has  been  chosen  as  illustrating  what  may 
be  hoped  for  in  other  sections.  But  lower  Congo  is  a 
very  small  portion  of  the  great  Congo  area,  and  much 
remains  to  be  done  before  the  battle  is  won  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Colony.  The  work 
is  in  different  stages  of  development  in  different  areas. 
In  some  it  is  as  well  advanced  as  in  lower  Congo,  in. 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  83 

others  work  is  just  being  inaugurated  under  the  most 
primitive  of  conditions.  Everywhere  the  battle  is 
waging,  and  everywhere  victories  are  being  won. 

Perhaps  the  story  of  the  individual  Christian  won 
to  Christ  from  raw  heathenism  and  devoting  himself 
to  the  service  of  God  best  illuminates  the  question  of 
missionary  results.  It  was  my  privilege  to  meet  and 
talk  with  scores  of  these  chosen  men  and  women. 
Their  stories  are  always  interesting  and  sometimes 
thrilling.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  stories 
here  given  can  be  paralleled  over  and  over  again  from 
the  experience  of  every  missionary. 

Joshua  Wamba  was  a  little  slave  boy.  His  master 
was  carrying  him  to  the  coast  to  sell  to  the  Portuguese 
when  Mr.  Richards  fell  in  with  him.  Mr.  Richards 
bought  him  for  a  very  low  price  and  kept  him  upon  the 
mission  station  at  Banza  Manteke.  Here  he  very  soon 
learned  of  Christ  and  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
story  of  redemption  which  was  illustrated  so  graphi- 
cally in  his  own  experience.  He  became  in  time  a 
teacher  and  then  a  preacher  of  no  little  power.  His 
favorite  theme  is  the  "  freedom  wherewith  Christ  has 
made  you  free."  When  I  met  Joshua  he  had  just  re- 
turned from  the  first  visit  he  had  ever  paid  to  his  old 
home  since  the  time  when  he  was  carried  away  so 
many  years  before  to  be  sold  to  strangers.  He  said 
the  same  chief  was  still  living,  and  observing  that 
Wamba  had  developed  into  a  person  of  some  impor- 
tance he  undertook  to  claim  him  as  his  boy. 

"  No,"  replied  Joshua.  "  I  am  no  kin  of  yours.  You 
sold  me  and  got  the  money.  But  God  meant  it  for 
good  to  me,  for  my  heart  has  been  enlightened." 

The  old  chief  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that 
his  village  now  had  a  Christian  teacher. 


84  Rock-Breakers 


"  Yes,"  said  Wamba,  "  you  have  a  teacher  in  your 
village,  and  a  church,  but  I  can  see  that  your  heart  is 
still  dark.  I  am  glad  you  sold  me  to  slavery,  for  if  you 
had  not  my  heart  might  have  been  like  yours." 

Joshua  tells  of  his  early  impressions  when  he  was 
brought  to  the  mission.  He  burst  out  into  a  fit  of 
weeping,  for  he  had  been  told  that  the  white  man 
would  eat  him,  and  sure  enough  the  very  first  thing 
he  noticed  upon  the  mission  compound  was  a  great 
iron  pot  used  for  soap-making,  and  he  naturally  took 
it  for  granted  that  he  was  shortly  to  make  its  intimate 
acquaintance. 

Loyalobe  is  the  woman  who  told  me  the  story  of  Elolo. 
She  was  born  and  brought  up  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Tshumbiri  and  was  a  little  girl  when  the  missionaries 
first  came.  As  a  girl  she  was  very  neat  and  attractive. 
She  always  wore  a  modest  dress  with  a  fringe  upon  it 
and  took  great  pains  with  her  clothing.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  a  Babenge  man  and  a  Bateke  woman. 
When  asked  whether  she  would  marry  into  the 
Babenge  or  the  Bateke  tribe  she  replied  the  former 
because  divorce  is  common  among  these  people  and 
she  could  have  plenty  of  husbands. 

She  had  heard  the  gospel  many  times,  but  though 
the  mission  had  been  established  for  years  there  were 
no  converts.  Finally  a  few  inquirers  began  to  come 
to  Mr.  Billington's  house  at  night  like  Nicodemus  of 
old.  They  were  ridiculed  and  persecuted  if  they  came 
in  the  daytime.  Mr.  Billington  met  Loyalobe  in  the 
path  one  day. 

"  You  have  heard  the  gospel  for  a  long  time,"  he  said 
to  her,  "  I  want  you  to  join  the  group  of  inquirers." 

It  took  a  great  deal  of  courage  for  her  to  respond 
affirmatively,  but   she   had  already  been   deeply  im- 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  85 

pressed  by  the  strange  new  story  and  responded,  "  I 
will."  She  not  only  kept  her  promise  but  brought  her 
particular  friend,  Byengo,  to  the  meetings.  It  meant 
the  facing  of  very  severe  persecution  and  possible 
death,  but  both  Loyalobe  and  Byengo  were  among  the 
first  group  to  be  baptized.  The  latter  soon  became 
her  husband,  and  together  they  were  the  first  to  serve 
as  native  teachers.  They  started  work  at  Mbomo 
among  the  Batekes.  It  had  been  impossible  to  get  any 
footing  in  this  village  previously. 

It  was  a  wrench  for  Loyalobe  to  give  up  her  belief 
in  witchcraft  and  fetishes.  She  was  naturally  of  a 
very  superstitious  nature  and  was  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  witch-doctor.  But  with  her  conversion  she 
threw  the  whole  strength  of  her  vigorous  nature  into 
the  work  of  the  kingdom.  When  her  husband  died 
she  became  the  matron  of  the  girls'  school  at  Tshumbiri 
and  is  exercising  a  strong  helpful  influence  over  the 
many  young  girls  who  come  under  her  care.  She  is 
no  longer  young,  at  least  from  an  African  standpoint, 
but  she  has  refused  many  offers  of  marriage  and  still 
refuses  them. 

Mother  Maria  now  carries  on  a  similar  work  at 
Vanga  Station  to  that  which  Loyalobe  is  doing  at 
Tshumbiri.  Some  of  the  teachers  who  go  out  from 
Vanga  into  the  surrounding  villages  to  teach  school 
and  tell  the  gospel  story  are  little  more  than  young 
boys.  Mother  Maria's  conversion  is  due  to  these  lads. 
They  came  to  her  village  with  the  good  news,  which 
immediately  attracted  her  attention,  and  in  response 
to  their  invitation  she  visited  the  station  at  Vanga. 
Here  she  insisted  on  attending  school  for  a  short  time 
although  she  was  too  old  to  learn  very  much.  She 
wanted  to  get  the  gospel  story,  and  this  at  least  she 
G 


86  Rock-Breakers 


was  able  to  take  in.  In  October,  1920,  she  asked  to 
have  her  name  enrolled  as  a  follower  of  Jesus,  and 
Mrs.  Nugent,  after  talking  at  length  with  her,  realized 
that  she  had  acquired  a  very  true  faith  in  the  Master. 
She  always  came  to  the  communion  services  even 
though  she  was  not  a  member  and  could  not  take  part. 
Moreover,  she  always  brought  a  gift,  and  frequently 
induced  friends  and  relatives  to  accompany  her. 

Persecution  began  in  her  village.  She  was  related  to 
the  chief,  and  when  he  was  unable  to  induce  her  to 
give  up  her  new  faith  he  beat  both  Maria  and  her 
daughter  severely.  They  came  to  the  station,  show- 
ing the  terrible  weals  and  gashes  upon  their  bodies. 

She  had  now  been  baptized  and  had  thrown  away 
her  fetishes.  Her  companions  in  the  village  were  hor- 
rified when  she  took  the  step,  and  prophesied  that  dire 
calamities  would  befall  her.  She  took  the  opportunity 
of  preaching  to  them  for  hours,  explaining  why  she 
had  lost  all  fear  of  the  fetishes. 

The  daughter  was  taken  very  ill  with  influenza,  and 
against  the  protest  of  the  chief  her  mother  brought  her 
to  the  station  for  treatment.  A  little  later  she  died, 
still  clinging  to  her  faith  in  Christ.  This  was  a  sore 
trial  to  the  faith  of  the  mother,  for  the  villagers  did 
not  fail  to  point  out  that  their  prophecies  of  evil  had 
been  fulfilled.  Their  antagonism  was  greatly  increased 
by  the  death  of  the  daughter,  and  the  persecution  be- 
came so  bitter  that  Maria  had  to  flee  for  her  life.  She 
came  to  the  station  by  night,  bringing  her  own  little 
three-year-old  girl  and  a  niece.  She  lives  in  the  girls' 
house,  and  they  call  her  Mother  Maria.  She  has  a 
sweet  earnest  Christian  face.  Only  a  few  months  out 
of  the  grossest  heathenism,  and  yet  she  is  blessing  and 
helping  the  Christian  life  of  every  girl  in  the  school. 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  87 

One  of  the  most  serious  obstacles  in  the  way  of 
many  a  man  who  desires  to  follow  Christ  is  the  pos- 
session of  plural  wives.  Mongongo  was  one  who  suf- 
fered in  this  way.  He  is  a  vigorous,  stalwart  sawyer, 
and  earns  his  living  by  felling  trees  in  the  forest  and 
whipping  them  into  planks.  For  four  years  he  had 
been  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel.  He  early  de- 
sired to  follow  Christ  but  was  hampered  by  the  pos- 
session of  four  living  wives.  He  attended  services 
regularly  and  frequently  made  request  for  church- 
membership.  He  was  always  told,  however,  that  the 
way  of  life  did  not  include  plural  wives. 

Finally  he  appealed  to  Mr.  Nugent,  the  missionary. 

"  Tata,"  said  he,  "  I  will  bring  my  fetishes  and  will 
leave  my  wives.  I  will  support  them  until  they  get 
other  husbands,  but  I  will  give  them  no  money  for 
fetish-worship.  Any  one  of  them  who  wants  to  give 
up  her  fetishes  and  walk  with  me  in  the  way  of  life,  I 
v/ill  keep." 

He  waited  at  the  mission  for  ten  days,  when  three 
of  his  wives  came  to  talk.  One  had  already  deserted 
him.  The  three  were  unwilling  to  break  loose  from 
their  old  ways  and  had  formed  a  compact  to  force  him 
to  come  back. 

"  All  right,"  he  said,  "  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  you." 
And  he  left  them. 

After  two  days  one  dropped  out  and  went  to  another 
husband.  The  remaining  two  came  to  Mr.  Nugent 
and  said : 

"  We  want  to  walk  with  our  husband.  We  will  re- 
main here  on  the  station." 

"  No,"  replied  he,  "  if  you  follow  Jesus  you  must 
leave  your  fetishes  and  follow  him  in  your  own  vil- 
lage."    They  asked  him  to  decide  which  should  con- 


88  Rock-Breakers 


tinue  with  the  husband.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  that  is  for 
you  to  decide." 

Next  day  the  elder  woman  came  bringing  her 
fetishes  and  threw  in  her  lot  with  Christ  and  her  hus- 
band. Mr.  Nugent  asked  her :  "  What  will  you  do 
back  in  your  own  village  without  fetishes?  Will  they 
not  persecute  you?  " 

"  The  Lord  will  protect  me,"  she  replied. 

The  story  of  Mpambu  was  told  me  partly  by  Mrs. 
Thomas  Hill,  who  was  largely  instrumental  in  his 
early  training,  and  partly  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Leslie  under 
whose  direction  he  is  now  working. 

Mpambu  was  born  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Congo 
about  188L  His  own  father  was  dead,  and  he  lived 
with  his  stepfather.  The  latter  was  pressed  for  money, 
and  having  no  goats  or  pigs  to  dispose  of  he  decided 
to  sell  his  stepson. 

"  Come,"  said  he,  "  I  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  the 
market." 

The  lad,  having  no  suspicion,  and  looking  forward 
to  the  pleasurable  excitement,  was  glad  to  go.  It  was 
not  long,  however,  before  he  noticed  his  master  talking 
with  others  and  nodding  toward  him.  He  became 
very  much  afraid  and  would  have  run  away,  but  he 
knew  not  where  to  go  and  the  sale  was  completed 
at  once.  He  was  taken  by  his  new  master  to  Kingoyo 
before  the  arrival  of  the  missionaries,  and  here  he 
grew  to  young  manhood.  He  was  fairly  well  treated, 
but  after  a  time  his  master,  desiring  larger  profit  from 
his  service,  sent  him  to  work  upon  the  railroad  near 
Tumba.  Here  he  heard  a  Congo  evangelist  speaking 
to  the  men  about  Christ,  and  he  learned  that  the  Capita, 
of  his  gang  was  a  Christian.  At  first  he  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  teaching,  but  one  day  a  railway 


BOYS  MILKING 
Tshumbiri 


GIRLS  CARRYING  WOOD 
Tshumbiri 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  89 

official  called  the  Capita  and  told  him  to  write  down 
the  names  of  the  men  in  his  gang.  This  greatly  aston- 
ished Mpambu,  and  he  argued  thus : 

"  It  must  be  because  he  is  a  Christian.  If  Chris- 
tianity has  taught  him  to  write,  I  will  be  a  Christian 
too." 

He  began  attending  the  meetings  held  by  the  evan- 
gelist and  soon  learned  that  there  was  much  more  to 
the  foreign  teaching  than  he  had  supposed.  It  ended 
by  his  becoming  a  sincere  follower  of  Christ.  After  a 
time  he  returned  to  his  own  village,  and  here  he  was 
not  slow  in  talking  about  his  new-found  faith.  He 
urged  the  people  to  send  for  the  missionary.  They 
refused  to  listen  to  him  and  drove  him  out  of  the  vil- 
lage. Later  he  returned  again  and  renewed  his  efforts 
to  evangelize  the  village.  About  this  time  the  state 
officials  visited  Kingoyo  to  secure  men  to  go  as  soldiers 
up  the  river.  The  villagers  said  to  themselves,  "  Here 
is  our  opportunity  to  get  rid  of  Mpambu."  He  over- 
heard them  talking  the  matter  over  and  hid  in  the 
bush.  His  wife  brought  food  to  him  each  day.  Ven- 
turing into  the  market  one  day  he  was  seized  by  a 
soldier  who  was  recruiting  for  the  army.  Leaving  his 
outer  garment  in  the  soldier's  hands,  he  dashed  away  and 
escaped  into  the  bush  again  until  the  danger  of  arrest 
had  passed. 

Some  time  later  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  visited  Kingoyo. 
Mpambu's  influence  was  immediately  exerted  in  their 
favor.  He  undertook  work  for  Mr.  Hill  as  a  carrier, 
and  while  in  this  service  asked  to  be  taught  reading 
and  writing.  While  the  other  carriers  were  sleeping 
he  would  sit  poring  over  his  books  and  copy-book. 
Later  he  was  baptized,  and  after  a  year  and  a  half 
spent  in  the  station  schools  he  began  to  preach.     His 


90  Rock-Breakers 


first  efforts  in  this  direction  were  at  Kingoyo,  where 
he  soon  organized  a  church  of  forty  or  fifty.  But  he 
was  not  satisfied  with  so  limited  a  field.  Said  he,  "  I 
want  to  go  back  to  preach  the  gospel  to  those  who 
sold  me  into  slavery."  He  returned  at  once  to  his 
birthplace,  where  he  was  favorably  received  and  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  a  church. 

Mpambu's  restless  spirit  was  continually  reaching 
out,  and  he  became  practically  the  first  foreign  mis- 
sionary from  lower  Congo.  True  he  did  not  leave  the 
Congo  territory,  but  he  went  a  long  journey  from  his 
own  home.  In  the  minds  of  the  natives  the  taking 
of  such  a  journey  would  be  quite  comparable  with  the 
venture  of  faith  made  by  the  American  missionary 
who  goes  to  Africa.  He  carried  his  family  with  him 
and  established  himself  among  a  people  speaking 
another  tongue.  To  this  day  Samuel  Mpambu  is  hold- 
ing the  outstation  of  Moanza  in  the  Kwangu  district 
alone  so  far  as  any  foreign  support  is  concerned.  He 
is  eight  days'  overland  journey  from  Vanga,  the  parent 
station,  and  the  missionary  is  able  to  visit  Moanza  not 
more  than  once  a  year. 

Mpambu  has  reproduced  at  Moanza  all  that  he  saw 
on  the  Lukunga  station.  He  has  established  regular 
preaching  services,  a  native  church,  and  a  school. 
What  is  perhaps  the  greatest  evidence  of  real  ability 
is  that  he  has  also  organized  work  consisting  of  preach- 
ing services  and  schools  at  twenty-two  villages  in  the 
territory  surrounding  Moanza. 

There  has  recently  arisen  bitter  opposition  to  his 
work  on  the  part  of  the  Jesuit  priests.  On  one  occa- 
sion they  visited  his  school  and  took  away  half  his 
boys.  They  have  not  hesitated  to  use  personal  vio- 
lence,  and   recently   several   young   men   made   their 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  91 

appearance  at  \'anga  with  the  marks  of  heavy  blows 
still  showing  upon  their  body. 

The  story  of  Mpambu's  first  journey  to  Moanza  is 
full  of  dramatic  incident.  He  sought  to  follow  Mr. 
Moody  into  the  new  district  and  took  the  trail  for 
Moanza.  It  lay  through  territory  belonging  to  a  can- 
nibal tribe.  Six  carriers  laden  with  bags  of  salt 
accompanied  him  as  far  as  the  edge  of  the  cannibal 
territory  but,  fearing  to  go  farther,  they  dropped  the 
bags  of  salt  and  left  Mpambu  alone  with  them.  This 
was  toward  evening.  The  natives  of  the  district  dis- 
covered him  and  immediately  made  preparations  for 
a  cannibal  feast.  All  night  long  he  sat  on  a  bag  of 
salt  and  prayed.  In  the  morning  he  began  to  read 
"  Pilgrim's  Progress."  The  chief  appeared  suddenly 
before  him,  evidently  in  the  same  mind  about  eating 
him.     Looking  up  from  the  book,  he  said, 

"  If  you  kill  me,  my  God  will  punish  you." 

The  chief  supposed  the  book  to  be  a  powerful  fetish 
and  became  frightened.  He  called  his  men  and  told 
them  to  get  Mpambu  out  of  the  village.  They  carried 
his  salt  and  helped  him  forward  to  a  Dutch  trader,  who 
assisted  him  as  far  as  Moanza  where  he  found  Mr. 
Moody.  The  latter  put  up  a  little  house  for  him  and 
left  him  there.  He  commenced  evangelistic  work  at 
once  and  gradually  secured  such  a  hold  on  the  com- 
munity as  to  be  able  to  start  a  boarding-school  with 
forty-two  boys.  He  planted  peanuts  and  sold  pigs  and 
goats  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  work. 

Such  stories  as  that  just  given  are  perhaps  the  best 
argument  to  prove  the  inherent  capacity  of  the  Afri- 
can native  for  leadership.  A  similar  story  comes 
from  the  other  extremity  of  the  Colony  and  is  related 
by  Mr.  W.  J.  W.  Roome. 


92  Rock-Breakers 


Apollo  Kivebulaya  was  converted  at  Kabarale  in 
Uganda.  Conceiving  a  desire  to  carry  the  gospel  to 
his  own  people  in  Congo  Beige,  he  crossed  the  line  to 
the  village  of  Mboga,  twenty-five  miles  from  Uganda. 

Here  he  has  heroically  carried  on  the  work  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  For  many  years  he  and  those  whom  he  won  faced  bitter 
persecution;  at  one  time  no  less  than  a  third  of  the  total  mem- 
bership of  300  being  massacred,  he  himself  beaten  unmercifully 
and  thrown  into  the  bush  for  dead,  rescued  by  a  friendly  woman 
and  shielded  by  her  for  two  months  until  he  recovered  health 
and  strength.  He  was  granted  a  twelve-months'  furlough  by  the 
mission  and  returned  to  Uganda.  Soon  after,  a  call  for  help 
came  from  the  persecuted  members  of  his  congregation,  and  he 
returned  immediately  before  going  for  his  much-needed  rest. 
From  those  days  on  the  work  has  progressed  until  now  he  has 
established  a  number  of  outstations  stretching  farther  north  and 
south. 

Grave  doubt  has  been  expressed  as  to  whether  the 
Congo  native  presents  those  elements  of  initiative  and 
constructive  power  which  will  enable  him  ultimately 
to  assume  the  responsibility  for  leadership  among  his 
own  people.  The  cases  here  given  should  be  sufficient 
to  indicate  that  individuals  are  not  wanting  who  pos- 
sess such  qualities. 

The  "  Prophet  Movement,"  which  originated  less 
than  a  year  ago  in  lower  Congo,  possesses  distinct  fea- 
tures of  a  new  race  consciousness.  Whatever  its  un- 
desirable features,  it  has  at  least  this  grain  of  comfort, 
that  it  encourages  one  to  believe  that  there  is  larger 
capacity  for  leadership  in  the  Congo  native  than  has 
been  supposed. 

The  movement  was  initiated  in  May,  1921,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  writer's  arrival  in  Congo  (August) 
was  in  full  swing.  My  itinerary  happened  to  take  me 
through  the  midst  of  the  section  most  afifected,  and  by 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  93 

the  kindness  of  the  missionaries  I  had  the  opportunity 
to  make  close  personal  observations  and  to  secure  full 
information  regarding  it. 

The  whole  movement  seems  to  have  originated  in 
the  visionary  mind  of  Simon  Kibangu,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  at  Wathen,  a  station  of  the 
English  Baptist  Mission.  Budimbu,  a  native  eye- 
witness of  the  early  manifestations  and  a  friend  of  the 
prophet,  told  me  the  latter's  story  which  he  had  from 
his  own  lips.     It  ran  thus  : 

A  friend  had  died  in  another  village.  According  to  custom  I 
[Kibangu]  went  there  to  carry  cloth  to  help  him  to  celebrate. 
The  people  were  dancing  when  we  arrived,  and  I  fell  in  a  fit  and 
was  unconscious.  My  father  and  mother  took  me  home.  On 
the  way  we  met  a  man  who  was  neither  black  nor  white,  nor 
was  he  a  mulatto.     He  was  very  finely  dressed. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  the  young  man  ?  "  he  said. 

"  We  are  taking  him  home ;  he  is  ill,"  my  father  replied. 

"  No,"  said  the  man,  "  he  is  not  ill.    He  will  be  all  right  soon." 

We  continued  on  our  way  and  camped  for  the  night.  During 
the  night  I  wanted  a  drink  and  said,  "  Mother,  I  go  to  get  water." 
I  went  to  the  stream  but  fell  into  a  deep  hole.  Mother  and 
father  called : 

"Son,  why  are  you  so  long  getting  water?" 

They  came  to  look  for  me,  and  soon  I  found  that  mother  had 
fallen  into  the  hole  beside  me.  But  suddenly  we  were  lifted  out 
of  the  pit  without  any  effort  on  our  part. 

Aiter  we  arrived  home  I  fell  sick  with  makivanza  and  had  many 
sores  all  over  my  bod3^  There  came  to  the  house  a  man  who  had 
nothing  on  but  a  meager  rag,  and  he  also  was  full  of  sores.  He 
asked  for  water.  My  mother  was  a  good  Christian  woman.  She 
took  our  cup  and  gave  the  man  a  drink.  He  turned  to  go,  and  I 
said  to  mother: 

"  WTiy  did  you  give  him  to  drink  from  our  cup?  He  is  full  of 
sores." 

The  stranger  overheard  me  and  came  back. 

"Why  do  you  speak  thus?"  he  said.  "You  also  are  full  of 
sores.     If  you  will  rub  yourself  with  palm-oil  you  will  be  cured." 


94  Rock-Breakers 


That  night  the  stranger  came  again  in  a  dream.  He  brought  a 
Bible  and  said : 

"  This  is  a  good  book,  you  must  read  it  and  preach." 

"  Nay,"  said  I,  "  I  am  no  preacher  or  teacher.     I  cannot  do  it." 

"  Then  take  the  book  to  your  mother  and  tell  her  that  she 
must  preach." 

"  Why  do  you  not  speak  to  her  yourself  ?  "  said  I. 

Then  the  stranger  told  me  of  a  sick  child  in  a  neighboring 
village,  saying  that  I  must  go  and  pray  for  her  healing.  But  I 
refused,  telling  him  that  they  would  not  believe  my  words  and 
might  persecute  and  kill  me. 

Later  he  came  to  my  mother  in  a  dream  telling  her  that  I  must 
preach  and  heal,  but  I  would  not.  Finally  he  came  to  me  again 
and  said : 

"  There  is  a  sick  child  in  another  village ;  you  must  go  there, 
pray,  lay  your  hands  on  the  child,  and  heal  it.  If  3'ou  do  not 
go  I  shall  require  your  soul  of  you." 

So  the  next  day  I  went  and  found  the  sick  child  as  he  had 
said.  The  people  were  gathered  around  weeping  and  wailing.  I 
pushed  them  aside  and  prayed  a  long  time  for  the  child.  Then 
I  laid  my  hands  upon  it,  and  immediately  I  shook  with  great 
violence.  But  the  child  was  healed  and  nestled  upon  its  mother's 
bosom  and  commenced  to  suck.  Then  they  brought  to  me  other 
sick  people.    I  prayed  and  touched  them,  and  they  were  healed. 

Kibang-u  established  himself  in  his  own  village  of 
Nkamba.  The  fame  of  his  exploits  soon  spread  far 
and  wide,  and  the  people  began  to  come  from  every 
direction,  either  to  secure  healing-  for  themselves  or  to 
bring  their  friends  and  relatives  who  were  in  need  of 
aid.  Dr.  Judson  C.  King,  of  Banza  Manteke,  says 
that  he  personally  saw  scores  of  men  and  women  on 
the  trail.  Patients  were  carried  in  hammocks  and 
otherwise  from  all  points  to  the  railroad  in  order  to 
get  them  to  the  prophet.  Some  died  on  the  road  both 
going  and  returning.  The  medical  work  at  the  mis- 
sion stations  was  brought  to  a  standstill.  Doctor 
King's  hospital  had  formerly  been  so  overtaxed  that 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  95 

more  than  double  the  number  of  its  ordinary  capacity 
would  be  crowded  into  it  and  others  slept  in  sheds. 
All  these  patients  disappeared. 

Budimbu  who  related  to  me  the  prophet's  story  said 
that  he  had  taken  with  him  upon  his  visit  to  the 
prophet  an  old  blind  man  named  Talongo.  Kibangu 
undertook  to  heal  him  after  the  manner  of  Jesus.  He 
spat  and  made  clay  and  told  him  to  go  to  the  river  and 
wash.  This  he  did,  and  they  asked  him  whether  he 
could  see.  He  replied,  "  I  can  see  very,  very  dimly." 
But  Budimbu  adds :  "  He  had  been  able  to  see  thus 
before."  No  increase  of  vision  came  to  him  later. 
Budimbu  also  took  the  son  of  the  medal  chief,  Manda, 
to  the  prophet,  carrying  him  all  the  way,  thirty  miles, 
for  he  was  far  gone  in  sleeping  sickness.  The  prophet 
prayed  and  commanded  him  to  be  well  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,  but  after  they  had  carried  him  home  again  he 
died.  Four  dead  bodies  were  taken  to  the  prophet 
from  around  Lukunga,  but  he  could  not  raise  them, 
and  they  were  buried  at  Nkamba. 

The  movement  grew  rapidly  in  popularity  although 
the  healing  feature  of  it  seems  to  have  been  very 
dubious.  The  people  came  in  such  large  numbers  that 
the  prophet  was  kept  at  work  from  early  morning  until 
late  at  night,  having  hardly  time  to  eat  and  sleep.  Be- 
fore long  others  associated  themselves  with  him,  both 
men  and  women,  as  helpers ;  and  later,  prophets  of  the 
movement  commenced  to  appear  at  other  points,  or 
set  up  for  themselves  in  other  villages  after  having 
secured  Kibangu's  blessing.  These  minor  prophets 
and  prophetesses  were  not  for  the  most  part  those  who 
had  been  actively  associated  with  the  church.  In 
many  cases  they  were  heathen  of  very  bad  character, 
or  those  who  had  formerly  been  church-members  but 


96  Rock-Breakers 


were  no  longer  in  fellowship  with  the  church  on  account 
of  gross  sin. 

It  became  manifest  before  long  that  there  were  con- 
siderable admixtures  of  old  superstitions  in  the  move- 
ment. A  prophet  set  up  in  the  neighborhood  of  Banza 
Manteke,  and  the  missionary  at  that  point,  Rev.  J,  E. 
Geil,  sent  word  asking  him  to  come  and  talk  the  matter 
over  with  him.  After  a  few  days  he  came  and  stood 
outside  Mr.  Geil's  house,  evidently  under  great  excite- 
ment, accompanied  by  a  number  of  bad  characters, 
some  of  whom  were  intoxicated.  He  foamed  at  the 
mouth  and  shook  violently,  but  said  nothing  for  a 
time.     Then  he  suddenly  broke  out: 

"You  sent  for  me.     What  do  you  want?" 

Mr.  Geil  said,  "  I  should  like  to  talk  wath  you  about 
the  work  you  are  doing." 

"  It  is  the  work  of  God.  Don't  you  believe  it  is 
God's  work?" 

This  he  ejaculated  in  a  very  truculent  manner.  Mr. 
Geil  replied : 

"  I  do  not  want  to  quarrel  with  you.  I  should  like 
to  talk  it  over  quietly." 

It  was  Sunday  morning,  and  they  had  been  just  upon 
the  point  of  proceeding  to  the  pool  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  for  a  baptismal  service.  The  prophet  seemed 
anxious  to  assume  charge  of  the  assembled  crowd,  and 
Mr.  Geil  feared  a  disturbance.  Placing  his  hand  upon 
the  prophet's  arm  he  warned  him  not  to  cause  any 
trouble.  Meanwhile  the  prophet  was  working  himself 
into  a  frenzy,  shaking,  leaping,  and  rolling  his  eyes. 
Mr.  Geil  led  the  way  to  the  baptism,  but  the  prophet 
and  his  followers  came  also,  shouting  and  making  a 
noise. 

The  shaking  here  mentioned  is  quite  characteristic 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  97 

of  the  movement.  A  prophet  is  not  supposed  to  have 
"  the  power  "  unless  he  begins  to  shake  uncontrollably, 
and  the  harder  the  shaking  the  more  the  power. 

The  whole  movement  was  of  course  intensely  inter- 
esting to  the  leaders  in  the  native  church,  deacons, 
pastors,  and  others.  A  large  number  of  the  more 
superficial  characters  were  led  away  by  it,  but  others 
seemed  to  discern  its  true  nature  from  the  beginning. 
A  group  of  native  leaders  from  Banza  Manteke  made 
a  personal  investigation  of  the  whole  matter.  Their 
report  written  by  Davidi  Mbadi  is  of  great  interest. 
It  was  printed  in  the  native  paper  and  is  in  part  as 
follows : 

"Try  the  Spirits  Whether  They  be  of  God" 

On  June  2d,  I,  Timoteo  Vingadio,  Isake  Muendo,  and  Samuel 
Katu,  went  to  the  prophet  at  Wando.  On  the  way  we  met  a 
crazy  man  who  was  bound  and  was  being  led  by  a  cord,  also  a 
blind  man.  These  two  came  from  the  prophet,  but  they  were 
not  healed.  We  arrived  at  Wando  June  6th.  In  the  afternoon 
we  watched  the  work  of  the  prophet  but  did  not  entirely  under- 
stand it.  June  7th  we  looked  again  and  saw  that  he  was  unable 
to  heal  the  child  of  Timoteo  who  had  sleeping  sickness,  Isake 
Diblla  who  is  lame,  a  woman  who  has  crippled  feet,  nor  a  blind 
chief,  Makuka  of  Kinkanza.  We  saw  also  that  he  could  not 
raise  a  dead  child. 

Then  he  said,  "  Look,  the  sun  and  moon  are  fighting."  When 
we  looked  we  did  not  see  it.  Then  he  urged  men  and  women 
to  do  evil  deeds.  When  they  did  not  agree  he  punished  them  by 
making  them  sit  in  the  sun.  He  urged  them  to  agree  to  what 
he  was  telling  them  and  testify  to  its  truth.  This  business  re- 
sembles the  witchcraft  adhered  to  by  our  fathers:  the  old  idea 
that  the  witch-doctor  ate  a  person,  and  that  they  must  testify 
that  he  did  so. 

We  saw  that  he  was  shaking  greatly  and  throwing  his  head 
from  side  to  side,  rolling  his  eyes,  and  jumping  in  the  air.  This 
is  also  like  when  our  fathers  acknowledged  the  healing  of  the 
witch-doctors.     The   person   in   the   center   of   the   witch-circle 


98  Rock-Breakers 


having  grass  gloves  on  his  hands  did  just  as  we  now  see  this 
man  do. 

He  said  the  hymns  of  God  must  be  sung  enthusiastically;  then 
he  would  have  the  power  to  heal.  Was  the  Lord  Jesus  given 
power  by  man?     And  did  he  heal  the  sick  by  hymns?     No  indeed. 

The  prophet's  person  must  not  be  touched  by  the  people.  This 
also  is  like  the  taboo  of  the  witch-doctor.  His  staflf  must  not  be 
touched.  Just  like  taboo.  .  .  He  warned  the  people  of  God  not 
to  take  communion  on  Sunday  but  only  on  Monday.  Other  words 
there  are,  but  in  all  of  them  the  Word  of  God  is  being  mixed 
with  deception  and  distorted.  .  .  Some  of  us  went  away  at  once, 
but  one  of  the  servants  of  the  prophet  came  to  tell  us  that  if  we 
went  away  today  or  tomorrow  we  should  see  a  sign  in  the  path 
and  die.  I  replied,  "  You  will  hear  only  that  we  have  arrived 
in  our  village." 

Rev.  C.  L.  Mason,  of  the  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  said  that  it  seemed  to  be  a  spirit  movement. 
Some  of  its  devotees  fall  down  under  the  power  of  the 
spirit.  It  comes  freely  upon  those  outside  the  church 
and  upon  people  who  are  living  in  open  sin.  The  peo- 
ple cry  to  God  and  confess  publicly  the  most  revolting 
sins  and  grossest  immoralities.  Such  vile  confessions 
in  public  have  a  most  unhappy  effect.  The  devotees 
of  the  movement  are  attacked  with  the  tuteka  or  shake. 
One  copies  another. 

One  of  the  worst  features  of  the  movement  is  that 
it  soon  assumed  an  anti-white  character.  Rev.  Thomas 
Hill  states  that  the  prophets  on  the  Bangu  said,  "  God 
is  going  to  drive  every  white  man  out  of  Congo." 
The  prophets  advised  the  people  to  refuse  to  work  for 
the  white  man  and  to  refuse  to  pay  taxes  to  the  State. 
It  is  this  last  phase  of  the  matter  which  has  led  the 
Government  to  take  active  measures  against  the  lead- 
ers, A  large  number  of  prophets  have  been  imprisoned 
as  well  as  a  good  many  of  their  followers,  particularly 
those  who  were  discovered  to  be  aiding  the  movement 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  99 

by  funds  or  assisting  in  the  public  meetings.  The 
prophets  have  prepared  a  number  of  hymns  which  the 
people  are  taught  and  frequently  sing  as  they  make 
their  journeys  from  village  to  village.  So  far  as  these 
hymns  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  missionaries 
they  seemed  to  be  sufficiently  innocuous.  They  made 
use  of  the  usual  Christian  militant  phraseology  such 
as  is  found  in  "  Onward,  Christian  Soldiers,"  and  were, 
perhaps  for  this  reason,  not  always  understood  by 
Government  officials  unfamiliar  with  evangelical  ter- 
minolog}-.  The  hymns  were  forbidden  by  the  Govern- 
ment, and  persistence  in  their  use  by  some  of  the  people 
led  to  their  arrest.  Some  of  them  are  said  to  be  both 
anti-white  and  antimissionary. 

It  is  supposed  that  connection  has  been  established 
by  the  State  between  this  movement  and  the  general 
world-wide  pan-African  agitation.  It  seems  probable 
that  the  movement  was  entirely  innocent  in  the  begin- 
ning; Kibangu,  its  originator,  being  a  neurotic  indi- 
vidual, subject  to  such  visions  as  have  not  infrequently 
in  other  lands  and  among  other  peoples  given  rise 
to  religious  movements  of  a  transitory  nature.  It  is 
possible,  however,  that  the  anti-white  group  may  have 
recognized  its  possibilities  and  taken  advantage  of  the 
movement  to  propagate  its  ideas. 

The  trial  of  Kibangu  took  place  in  October,  and  he 
was  sentenced  to  death  but  was  subsequently  reprieved 
by  King  Albert.  Some  of  his  followers  were  given 
prison  sentences  of  from  five  to  twenty  years,  while 
others  were  deported.  There  is  considerable  feeling 
even  among  Belgians  that  these  sentences  were  unduly 
severe,  and  it  is  probable  that  after  the  lapse  of  further 
time  and  the  subsidence  of  the  disturbance  there  will 
be  further  substantial  commutation  of  the  sentences. 


100  Rock-Breakers 


The  excitement  in  the  lower  Congo  has  already  died 
down  in  a  considerable  measure.  The  people  were 
gr^-  tly  disappointed  in  the  prophet's  failure  to  heal  in 
so  many  cases  and  are  to  some  extent  disillusioned. 
Moreover,  the  novelty  of  the  thing  has  worn  ofif,  and 
the  average  native  is  not  anxious  to  incur  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  State  unnecessarily.  On  the  other 
hand,  many  of  those  who  have  been  punished  by  the 
State  pose  as  martyrs  and  claim  to  suffer  joyfully  for 
Jesus'  sake.  As  one  woman  put  it :  "  Do  not  weep  for 
me.  I  am  not  seeing  any  trouble  because  I  am  being 
sent  away.  It  is  for  the  sake  of  the  gospel."  It  is 
believed  that  now  that  Kibangu's  case  is  settled  the 
movement  will  gradually  fade  out.  There  are  evi- 
dences that  it  is  just  beginning  to  appear  in  villages 
upon  the  upper  river,  but  it  will  be  dealt  with  at  once 
and  will  probably  not  grow  to  the  proportions  which 
it  assumed  in  lower  Congo. 

In  the  meantime  there  seems  to  be  a  very  evident 
revival  of  real  religion  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
lower  Congo  region.  A  revival  has  broken  out  at 
Kinshasa.  The  prayer-meetings  are  crowded.  Thou- 
sands of  books  are  being  sold.  The  people  come  from 
many  distant  points  to  buy.  There  are  many  inquir- 
ers, and  large  numbers  are  asking  for  baptism.  The 
missionaries  are  proceeding  with  great  caution  on  ac- 
count of  the  previous  excitement.  The  new  converts 
are  put  upon  long  probation  or  received  into  pro- 
visional membership,  but  nevertheless  the  new  interest 
seems  to  be  wide-spread  and  of  a  very  genuine  char- 
acter. 

The  details  of  the  movement  are  given  somewhat  at 
length ;  first,  because  they  would  seem  to  indicate  a 
new  and  growing  sense  of  solidarity  and  racial  con- 


The  Potency  of  Redeemed  Lives  101 

sciousness  which  must  be  reckoned  with  in  future ; 
secondly,  because  of  the  historical  importance  which 
the  movement  is  bound  to  assume  ;  and  thirdly,  because 
of  the  indication  found  in  it  of  a  desire  for  leadership, 
a  willingness  to  pay  the  penalties  of  leadership,  and 
at  least  to  some  extent  a  capacity  for  leadership  which 
indubitably  can  and  should  be  capitalized  for  the 
kingdom. 


V 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 
IN  CONGO 


"  Probably  nothing  would  be  so  likely  to  save  native  Chris- 
tians from  looking  each  man  on  his  own  things  exclusively 
as  to  get  the  churches  to  undertake  and  maintain,  to  the 
extent  of  real  self-sacrifice,  some  effort  outside  the  ordinary 
sphere  of  their  obligations,  which  would  correspond  to  foreign 
mission  work." — C.  H.  Harvey. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  IN  CONGO 


The  development  of  the  native  church  in  Congo  has 
never  known  mass  movements  in  quite  the  sense  that  they 
are  known  in  India,  probably  because  of  the  very  much 
smaller  populations.  None  the  less  there  have  been  at 
times  movements  of  comparatively  large  numbers  of  peo- 
ple toward  the  church  in  a  manner  which  seems  in  some 
degree  to  parallel  the  Indian  mass  movements. 

Such  awakenings  seem  to  come  after  a  long  period  of 
seed-sowing  in  any  particular  section  which  may  appar- 
ently have  produced  little  result.  They  have  been  for 
the  most  part  not  general  but  local.  Most  of  the  older 
missions  at  work  in  the  Congo  have  had  experiences  of 
such  movements,  and  it  may  be  questioned  whether  this 
is  not  the  normal  method  of  progress  in  this  field. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  uprisings  was 
that  which  occurred  at  Banza  Manteke  in  1886.  It  has 
sometimes  been  called  the  "  Pentecost  on  the  Congo." 
The  veteran  missionary  of  the  American  Baptist  For- 
eign Mission  Society,  Rev.  Henry  Richards,  who  after 
forty-two  years  on  the  Congo  is  still  in  active  service,  was 
then  in  the  first  years  of  his  work.  He  had  labored  zeal- 
ously, faithfully,  and  in  the  midst  of  many  privations 
and  difficulties  for  seven  years.  His  first  converts  had 
preached  among  the  people  in  the  face  of  much  persecu- 
tion when  suddenly  the  Spirit  of  God  seemed  to  come 
upon  the  people,  and  they  came  in  groups  and  hundreds 
until  a  thousand  declared  themselves  followers  of  Christ 
in  a  few  weeks.     Newly  won  from  a  gross  heathenism 

105 


106  Rock-Breakers 


as  were  these  converts,  they  became  filled  with  a  desire 
to  spread  the  good  news  among  their  fellows.  Personal 
evangelism  became  the  common  order  of  the  day.  There 
was  an  eagerness  to  learn  to  read  so  that  they  might 
gain  for  themselves  new  lessons  from  the  word  of  God, 
and  numbers  were  found  ready  and  willing  to  visit  the 
villages  through  the  surrounding  country  as  teachers 
and  evangelists.  The  movement  spread  throughout  the 
lower  Congo,  including  also  the  territory  of  the  Bap- 
tist Missionary  Society  of  England. 

The  experience  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  at 
Yakusu  on  the  upper  river  well  illustrates  the  principle 
of  which  we  have  spoken :  a  period  of  quiet  seed-sowing 
and  modest  growth  followed  by  large  ingatherings.  The 
work  at  this  point  began  in  1902  and  proceeded  with  en- 
couraging but  modest  success  until  1913,  when  much 
more  rapid  growth  commenced.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
year  mentioned  the  church-membership  was  470,  but  large 
accretions  have  taken  place  each  year  until  there  are  now 
more  than  3,000  members.  Secretary  C.  E.  Wilson  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  in  speaking  of  this  work  says : 

The  outschools  number  300  with  over  7,000  scholars,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  boundaries  of  the  work  have  been  continually 
widening  out.  The  missionaries  would  be  the  first  to  acknowl- 
edge that  all  this  growth  has  not  been  of  their  doing.  The 
whole  movement  is  of  the  Spirit  of  God  who  has  borne  them 
along  far  beyond  their  own  expectations. 

At  Bolenge  in  the  work  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo 
Mission  a  somewhat  similar  experience  has  taken  place. 
There  were  a  number  of  years  of  quiet  seed-sowing  both 
by  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission  missionaries 
and  by  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Baptist  Foreign 
Mission  Society  by  whom  the  station  was  originally 
opened.     Then  occurred  the  break  in  the  darkness :  the 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  107 

organization  of  a  church  of  thirty  members  followed 
by  rapid  growth,  so  that  in  about  a  decade  the  number 
grew  to  more  than  3,000. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission,  working 
in  the  Kasai  district  with  headquarters  at  Luebo,  has  the 
largest  number  of  communicants  of  any  Congo  mission — 
nearly  20,000.  In  his  account  of  the  work,  "  Triumphs 
of  the  Gospel  in  Belgian  Congo,"  Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger 
speaks  particularly  of  the  prompt  and  enthusiastic  re- 
sponse met  with  among  the  Bena  Lulua  people.  It  began 
when  Kalemba  the  chief  sent  this  message  to  the  Luebo 
Mission. 

I,  Kalemba,  the  King  of  the  Luluas,  have  long  been  a  seeker 
after  life.  I  have  gone  west  as  far  as  the  Great  Waters,  but 
the  Portuguese  satisfied  me  not.  I  went  east,  and  the  Belgians 
gave  me  perfected  guns  which  said,  "  I  take  life,  but  I  cannot 
give  it."  I  have  sought  to  the  south,  and  the  wizards  comforted 
me  not.  But  passers-by  have  declared  your  gospel  to  me,  and 
I  am  satisfied  at  last.  My  searchings  are  ended.  I  and  my 
people  are  yours.  Accept  as  guaranty  my  own  child,  whom  I 
am  sending  to  you.  But  come  quickly  to  my  home,  where  we 
all  await  you.     Your  God  make  you  merciful  to  me. 

Mr.  Bedinger  adds  that  the  gospel  message  spread  like 
wild-fire. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  tests  for  church-membership  are 
more  rigid  for  the  Luluas  than  for  others,  they  have  come 
rushing  into  the  kingdom  faster  than  we,  with  our  inadequate 
missionary  force,  really  wish. 

The  writer  had  the  very  great  privilege  of  observ- 
ing for  himself  one  of  these  overwhelming  spontaneous 
turnings  to  God  in  process  of  taking  place.  He  does  not 
attempt  to  evaluate  it  or  to  estimate  the  significance  and 
probable  proportions  of  the  movement,  but  merely  to 
recount  the  events  which  came  under  his  observation. 


108  Rock-Breakers 


It  occurred  at  Sona  Bata,  one  of  the  stations  of  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  on  the  lower 
Congo.  Sona  Bata  is  situated  on  the  railroad  between 
Kinshasa  and  Thysville.  The  original  station  was  at 
Kifwa,  about  sixteen  miles  distant,  but  the  station  was 
moved  to  the  present  site  for  health  reasons.  It  is  the 
center  of  a  populous  territory.  Steady  but  not  phenom- 
enal progress  has  been  made. 

Early  last  year  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moody  who  are  at  present 
in  charge  of  the  work  at  the  station,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred- 
erickson,  their  colleagues,  having  left  for  furlough,  made 
a  very  long  tour  throughout  the  entire  Sona  Bata  terri- 
tory. Upon  this  journey  they  were  confirmed  in  their  pre- 
vious impression  that  a  very  great  work  of  grace  had 
begun  throughout  the  entire  area.  Everywhere  they 
found  a  new  interest  in  the  gospel,  meetings  were  at- 
tended as  never  before,  the  gifts  of  members  and  adher- 
ents to  the  support  of  the  work  were  much  more  numer- 
ous and  generous,  and  large  numbers  were  awaiting 
baptism.  In  view  of  the  prevalence  of  the  excitement  in 
relation  to  the  prophet  movement  which  was  already  af- 
fecting lower  Congo,  Mr.  Moody  proceeded  with  very 
great  caution,  although  there  were  few  evidences  of  the 
Sona  Bata  field  being  afifected.  Mr.  Moody  urged  upon 
the  native  workers  the  importance  of  assuring  themselves 
that  those  desiring  baptism  were  adequately  prepared. 
They  replied  that  they  were  keeping  back  for  further 
instruction  more  than  half  of  those  seeking  baptism,  and 
were  presenting  only  those  who  had  been  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  gospel  for  years,  had  been  given  special 
instruction  for  three  months,  were  living  blameless  lives, 
giving  regularly  to  the  support  of  the  church,  and  had 
been  carefully  examined  first  by  the  deacons  and  after- 
ward by  the  church. 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  109 

At  centers  from  one  to  three  days  distant  from  Sona 
Bata  ten  great  conferences  were  held  during  the  months 
June,  July,  and  August  (1921).  At  each  of  them  the 
attendance  was  unexpectedly  large,  and  there  was  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  accommodating  the  people.  At  one 
point  (Kinsangu)  a  tabernacle  of  bamboo  and  palm 
leaves  was  built  twenty-two  fathoms  long  and  ten  wide. 
The  people  crowded  into  it  to  such  an  extent  that  its  walls 
were  pushed  outward.  At  these  ten  gatherings  1,028 
new  members  were  baptized,  this  being  a  small  propor- 
tion of  those  offering  themselves  for  baptism. 

Our  visit  to  Sona  Bata  coincided  with  the  eleventh 
and  final  one  of  these  conferences  which  was  to  be  held 
at  the  central  station.  The  people  commenced  to  arrive 
on  the  evening  before  the  opening  of  the  conference, 
each  group  in  charge  of  its  pastor  or  the  church  deacons. 
There  were  crowds  of  boys  and  girls,  half-naked,  but 
with  round,  interested  faces  and  expectant  eyes.  Every 
one  seemed  to  be  looking  forward  to  a  good  time.  The 
women  had  their  babies  tied  on  their  backs  and  the 
family  food  supply  upon  their  heads.  Shelter  for  the 
night  was  provided  for  .them,  but  all  were  expected  to 
bring  sufficient  food  to  last  them  throughout  the  four 
or  five  days  of  the  conference.  Many  of  the  people 
walked  for  three  days  to  be  present,  and  one  group  of 
men  arrived  from  a  village  five  days  distant. 

More  than  a  thousand  people  attended  the  conference. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  follow  the  program  in  detail. 
While  Mr.  Moody  furnished  general  direction  it  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  native  leaders  for  the  most  part.  By 
the  end  of  the  first  day  the  whole  compound  had  assumed 
a  very  lively  appearance.  Its  usually  neat  and  orderly 
paths  and  lawns  were  littered  with  the  dried  leaf  wrap- 
pings of  the  kwanga  or  prepared  manioc  forming  the 


110  Rock-Breakers 


staple  of  the  conference  diet.  Little  camp-fires  were 
kindled  here  and  there,  and  groups  were  gathered  about 
them  between  sessions,  sitting  on  the  ground,  chatting  to- 
gether, arranging  the  household  utensils,  or  cooking  their 
simple  meals.  Beside  them  are  piled  the  impedimenta  of 
their  journey,  leaf -wrapped  masses  of  kivanga,  pots  and 
water-gourds,  mats  and  bundles  of  extra  clothing.  Con- 
spicuous among  their  belongings  are  Bibles  and  hymn- 
books,  often  wrapped  in  handkerchiefs  to  keep  them  clean. 
Occasionally  a  woman  might  be  seen  washing  her  baby 
upon  the  lawn  by  the  simple  expedient  of  emptying  the 
water-gourd  over  its  little  brown  naked  body.  The  chil- 
dren gathered  in  groups  to  play  games,  the  boys  and  the 
girls  separately.  There  seemed  to  be  numberless  babies 
and  children,  a  happy  augury  of  the  future.  At  night 
the  scene  took  on  an  added  attraction.  Twenty-five 
camp-fires  twinkled  and  glowed  about  the  grounds  and 
in  among  the  palm  trees ;  the  pleasant  odor  of  the  wood 
smoke  lent  an  air  of  Congo  home  comfort  to  the  group 
about  each.  Every  one  was  thoroughly  at  home,  little 
babies  lying  asleep  in  their  mother's  arms,  children  cud- 
dling against  their  parents  on  the  mats  under  the  open 
sky ;  the  stars  and  the  evening  breeze  and  the  quiet  of  the 
night  bringing  a  brooding  peace  upon  all  after  the  ex- 
citement of  the  day. 

The  conference  is  called  a  matondo  which  indicates 
thanksgiving  and  takes  its  name  from  the  practise  of  each 
member  bringing  a  thank-ofifering  to  the  meeting,  addi- 
tional to  the  ordinary  gifts  he  makes  regularly  to  the 
church.  On  Saturday  afternoon  the  session  for  the  re- 
ception of  these  ofiferings  took  place.  The  church  at 
Sona  Bata  is  a  commodious  brick  building,  the  crowning 
achievement  of  Mr.  Frederickson's  last  period  of  service 
upon  the  field.    It  was  filled  to  overflowing,  however,  and 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  111 

fully  125  women  were  seated  upon  the  floor  in  the  space 
in  front  of  the  pulpit. 

The  meeting  opened  with  singing,  prayer,  and  a 
brief  address.  Then  came  the  time  for  the  presentation 
of  the  offerings.  The  moderator  announced  the  name  of 
the  church  and  the  amount  of  its  offering  as  the  leader 
of  the  delegation  presented  it.  On  the  platform  one  of 
the  preachers  wrote  the  names  and  figures  on  a  long 
blackboard  for  all  to  see.  As  each  was  announced  it  was 
greeted  with  the  muted  hand-clapping  peculiar  to  the 
Congo  native.  Several  of  the  larger  churches  commenced 
with  substantial  offerings,  one  amounting  to  328  francs. 
A  young  man  rushed  up  the  aisle,  as  well  as  was  possible 
for  the  crowd,  with  a  handful  of  crumpled  bank-notes. 
Another  presented  a  bundle  of  dirty  envelopes  tied  up 
with  a  piece  of  rag  and  each  containing  currency.  A  mass 
of  silver  was  brought  in  a  basket.  A  little  church  re- 
puted as  dead  in  a  village  not  far  off  proved  to  have  been 
restored  to  life  and  was  represented  by  an  offering  of 
francs  29.20.  A  dirty  calico-print  bag  appeared.  It  was 
secured  with  a  piece  of  fiber  and  contained  bills,  A  dele- 
gation of  four  paraded  up  the  aisle  together,  the  fore- 
most bearing  a  wicker  basket  containing  two  canvas 
bags,  one  white  and  the  other  blue ;  this  was  the  gift  from 
the  Sona  Bata  church,  the  white  bag  from  Mamma 
Moody's  class  of  women  and  containing  no  less  than 
ninety-five  francs. 

But  that  which  produced  the  greatest  impression  of  all 
was  the  presentation  of  gifts  from  the  struggling  new 
churches  just  opened  among  the  Bayakas  and  Bafunikas. 
The  sums  were  not  large,  francs  9.50  and  5.00  respec- 
tively, but  they  were  received  with  unbounded  enthusiasm 
and  greeted  with  a  storm  of  applause.  One  of  the  leaders 
jumped  to  his  feet  and  began  to  make  a  rapid-fire  ad- 


112  Rock-Breakers 


dress :  "We  sent  them  the  Word  a  year  ago ;  now  they  are 
sending  us  a  thank-offering."  I  arose  to  say  a  few  words 
of  appreciation.  They  were  very  anxious  to  know  what 
the  foreign  visitor  had  to  say  about  it. 

"  Here,  you  women,"  shouted  the  leader,  "  if  you  have 
babies  (almost  all  of  them  had)  tell  them  to  be  quiet." 

I  tried  to  tell  them  how  glad  God's  people  in  America 
would  be  to  know  of  their  loyalty  and  generosity.  Every 
face  was  beaming  and  every  eye  shining.  Immediately 
they  recommenced  the  swinging  refrain  which  they  had 
already  repeated  over  and  over : 

Ntondo  kwa  Nsamhi,  tata. 
(Thanks  be  to  God,  the  Father.) 

On  Sunday  morning  the  services  commenced  at  six 
o'clock  when  a  great  group  of  people  repaired  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hill  for  an  early  morning  baptismal  service. 
It  behooved  them  to  start  thus  early,  for  there  were 
hundreds  to  baptize.  Mr.  Moody  had  done  his  best  to 
limit  the  number,  desiring  to  be  quite  certain  that  each 
should  be  thoroughly  instructed  and  should  have  given 
good  proof  of  conversion  before  being  taken  into  the 
church.  The  native  pastors  continued  to  bring  their 
lists,  however,  until  the  number  far  exceeded  expectations, 
and  added,  moreover,  that  in  most  of  the  churches  twice 
the  number  of  those  presented  were  being  kept  back  for 
further  instruction. 

At  eight  o'clock  they  started  baptizing  again  after 
a  service  of  prayer  and  preparation  in  the  church  above. 
Mr.  Clark  and  I  went  to  the  pool,  scrambling  down  the 
mountainside  amid  the  nimble  barefooted  men  and 
women.  It  was  an  impressive  sight:  the  wood-covered 
hills  rising  all  about  us,  the  luxuriant  tropical  foliage,  the 
crowd  of  men  and  women  gathered  expectantly  about 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  113 

the  pool,  the  group  of  preachers  and  leaders  upon  the 
farther  side,  the  candidates,  their  faces  bright  with  the 
joy  of  following  the  Lord  and  Master  in  baptism,  deacons 
and  deaconesses  stationed  here  and  there  to  steady  the 
footsteps  of  the  newly  baptized  members  as  they  came  up 
the  slippery  clay  banks  out  of  the  pool,  men  and  women 
in  a  steady  stream  stepping  down  into  the  water  one 
after  another,  the  solemn  utterance  of  the  age-old  formula, 
"  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  the  spontaneous  outburst 
of  song.  Ascending  the  hill  we  heard  one  old  woman 
greet  a  friend  who  had  just  been  baptized :  "  You  are 
on  the  right  road  now.  Have  courage  to  tread  it  faith- 
fully." 

Perhaps  the  most  touching  thing  of  all  was  to  find, 
after  we  had  reascended  the  hill  to  the  station  compound, 
a  crowd  of  people  in  front  of  Mr.  Moody's  house.  There 
were  fifty  or  more.  Two  preachers  were  talking  earnestly 
to  them  from  the  porch.  One  of  them  was  remarkable 
for  possessing  a  pair  of  trousers,  the  original  material 
of  which  had  been  white.  It  had  thirteen  patches,  the 
largest  a  square  of  lavender  on  the  right  leg;  several 
others  were  of  pink.  We  inquired  why  the  group  had 
gathered  and  learned  that  they  had  come  to  ask  why 
they  too  could  not  be  baptized.  "  We  believe  in  Jesus 
now  and  shall  believe  just  the  same  some  months  later ; 
why  tell  us  to  wait  ? "  There  was  no  evidence  of  anger, 
merely  grief  and  disappointment. 

As  soon  as  the  people  returned  from  the  pool  the 
service  was  resumed  on  the  green  in  the  center  of  the 
compound.  The  great  group  of  new  disciples,  380  in  all, 
were  lined  up  in  the  form  of  a  triangle.  On  one  side  were 
a  number  who  had  been  disciplined  for  various  reasons 
and  were  now  being  restored.     It  was  no  small  task  to 


114  Rock-Breakers 

marshal  the  forces.  Mr.  Moody  had  need  of  all  his 
executive  ability,  but  was  well  seconded  by  his  native 
associates.  An  address  was  made  to  the  new  members 
and  all  received  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  Then 
the  entire  congregation  crowded  into  the  chapel  again, 
or  as  large  a  part  as  could  succeed  in  doing  so. 

On  Saturday  the  church  had  been  tastefully  decorated 
with  palms.  The  pulpit  was  bright  with  the  vivid  magenta 
and  green  of  the  Bougainvillea.  The  doors  were  besieged, 
and  the  people  pressed  in  until  not  another  could  enter. 
About  two  hundred  were  seated  closely  packed  on  the 
floor  before  the  pulpit  and  in  the  aisles.  The  doorways 
were  jammed,  and  hundreds  were  seated  or  crouching 
without,  listening  through  door  and  window. 

Prayer  and  song  were  interspersed  between  the  ad- 
dresses. The  native  preachers  know  the  word.  It  is 
their  one  book,  and  they  refer  to  it  constantly.  Many  of 
them  are  speakers  of  fluency  and  considerable  power. 
They  sway  the  audience.  Notwithstanding  the  heat  which 
grows  oppressive,  for  it  is  now  midday,  and  the  packed 
condition  of  the  building,  there  is  no  inattention.  The 
preacher  launches  out  into  the  story  of  Elijah  and  Ahab. 
He  draws  a  vivid  picture,  making  the  old  story  live  before 
the  eyes  of  the  audience.  Their  intense  interest  is  mani- 
fest by  their  frequent  responses.  He  draws  answers  from 
them  by  pointed  questions.  The  people  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  the  story.  Unerringly  they  seem  to  sense  the 
right  response,  and  as  one  man  they  answer  with  a  deep- 
throated  "  Aye,"—"  Yes  indeed,"—"  No,"—"  It  is  God  " 
— appropriate  to  the  action  of  the  story.  The  speaker 
elicits  these  utterances  quite  consciously,  but  they  cause 
no  perceptible  break  in  the  thread  of  his  address.  Fit- 
ting right  into  the  theme,  he  receives  them  and  hastens 
on.    Suddenly  he  breaks  into  song.    It  is  a  musical  recital 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  115 

of  the  triumphs  of  the  worthies.  "  God  helped  Elijah, 
and  he  will  help  you  too."  The  whole  audience  joins 
in  the  song.  Men,  women,  and  children  enter  into  it 
with  their  whole  soul :  "  Daniel,  Moses,  Joseph,  He  helped 
them,  and  he  will  help  you  too."  It  is  a  swinging  rhythm 
and  a  hearty  refrain.  Having  once  started  it  seems  as 
though  they  cannot  stop,  and  over  and  over  again  the 
chorus  is  repeated. 

The  people  seemed  to  have  blossomed  since  the  pre- 
vious day.  They  had  evidently  been  saving  their  best 
clothing  for  Sunday.  A  piece  of  faded  caHco  had  been 
the  prevailing  style,  but  today  the  whole  great  gathering 
has  effloresced.  They  have  suddenly  become  a  surging 
sea  of  color :  brilliant  scarlets,  yellows,  green,  magenta, 
purple,  brown,  blue,  orange — not  merely  the  primary 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  but  every  intermediate  tint.  The 
women  on  the  green  before  the  church  form  a  kaleido- 
scope of  patterns  and  hues  as  they  come  and  go,  mingle 
and  separate.  How  happy  they  are.  It  is  the  greatest 
occasion  in  some  of  their  little  meager  lives. 

There  was  a  funny  little  old  man  on  the  front  row  in 
the  church.  He  looked  like  an  old  plantation  darky: 
kinky  locks,  grizzled  with  age,  a  little  fuzzy  moustache 
also  peppered  by  time.  He  wore  a  dingy  white  shirt 
made  of  flour  sacks,  a  pair  of  khaki  trousers,  and  a  long 
black  frock  coat,  but  no  collar.  Not  being  used  to  the 
long  garment  he  had  almost  to  turn  himself  inside  out 
to  get  at  his  collection  money  in  the  tail  pocket,  when 
the  offering  was  taken.  I  learned  later  that  at  the  time  he 
was  baptized  there  was  a  white  man,  a  state  official 
in  town.  He  had  been  so  happy  in  the  joy  of  his  new- 
found Christian  faith  that  he  had  summoned  courage 
to  approach  the  white  man  and  say,  "  Do  you  love  Jesus  ?  " 
He  received  a  kick  for  his  pains,  but  said  afterward, 


116  Rock-Breakers 


"  Well,  it  was  worth  the  kick  to  be  able  to  talk  about 
Jesus." 

So  ended  the  most  wonderful  conference  ever  held 
at  Sona  Bata. 

There  seems  to  be  some  evidence  that  the  revival  at 
Sona  Bata  is  part  of  a  general  awakening  in  lower  Congo. 
At  Banza  Manteke  more  than  1,100  have  been  baptized 
during  the  past  year,  a  larger  number  than  for  many 
years  previously.  Mr.  Mason,  of  the  Christian  and  Mis- 
sionary Alliance,  reports  unusual  interest  in  the  field 
covered  by  his  Society,  and  Mr.  Kirkland  speaks  of  the 
situation  at  Kinshasa  as  constituting  a  real  revival. 

No  such  large  ingatherings  as  are  here  chronicled 
would  ever  be  possible,  however,  without  the  steady 
patient  work  of  the  preceding  years.  The  winning  of  a 
community  to  a  new  faith,  the  changing  of  habits  and 
customs  inherited  from  the  ages,  the  building  of  charac- 
ter not  alone  in  the  individual  but  also  in  the  community, 
is  slow  up-hill  work.  It  calls  upon  the  utmost  powers 
of  the  missionary  and  a  spirit  of  devotion  which  is  ready 
to  give  to  the  last  ounce  of  human  endurance.  In  the 
early  days  of  the  work  it  meant  not  infrequently  the 
very  laying  down  of  the  life,  and  there  are  few  mission 
stations  in  Congo  which  are  not  consecrated  by  at  least 
one  white  grave.  Few  things  on  the  Congo  field  so  im- 
press one  as  those  little  enclosures,  usually,  and  most  ap- 
propriately, hard  by  the  native  church,  with  one  or  more 
simple  stones  with  dates  and  names  of  those  who  have 
counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto  them  that  the  church 
of  Christ  might  be  erected  in  Congoland. 

Today  far  fewer  sacrifices  of  this  kind  are  required 
than  in  those  early  pioneering  days.  A  better  knowledge 
of  the  country  and  wiser  measures  of  sustaining  health 
have  robbed  the  field  of  many  of  its  terrors,  but  the  lives 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  117 

given  to  Christ  for  Congo  are  in  very  truth  "  Hving  sacri- 
fices," and  the  service  which  brings  rich  results  is  that 
which  is  rendered  daily,  persistently,  energetically,  and 
untiringly  through  a  period  of  years. 

The  program  of  the  development  of  the  native  church 
takes  similar  lines  throughout  the  whole  of  Congo,  no 
matter  what  the  name  of  the  agency  or  the  particular 
phases  of  evangelical  truth  emphasized  by  it.  First,  there 
is  the  establishment  of  the  missionary  home,  the  winning 
by  patient  and  tactful  approach  of  the  confidence  of  the 
people.  Afterward  comes  the  break  in  the  darkness  and 
the  making  of  the  first  few  native  converts.  From  this 
time  on  perhaps  the  chief  factor  in  the  development  of 
the  native  church  is  the  native  himself.  It  may  be  said 
without  exaggeration  that  the  first  converts  in  any  new 
area  are  always  zealous  for  the  winning  of  others.  At 
Vanga,  the  most  recently  opened  station  of  the  American 
Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,  it  became  necessary  to 
use  quite  young  men  who  had  but  a  few  months'  schooling 
to  carry  the  gospel  to  new  villages  eagerly  calling  for 
teachers.  The  experience  cited  by  Mr.  Bedinger  in  con- 
nection with  the  work  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
Congo  Mission  is  well-nigh  universal.    He  writes : 

Young  teachers,  though  inadequately  prepared,  were  placed 
temporarily  in  charge  of  outstations.  Frequently  men  from  the 
work  line  have  been  sent  to  fill  posts  until  evangelists  could  be 
trained.  In  some  instances  the  itinerating  missionary  has  taken 
men  from  his  caravan  to  meet  urgent  calls.  The  carrying  out 
of  this  policy  has  developed  initiative  and  confidence  in  the 
native  Christians. 

The  many  calls  which  come  to  the  missionary   for 

teachers  to  open  schools  in  the  surrounding  villages  and 

for  evangelists  to  visit  them  with  the  word  of  God,  very 

soon  force  upon  the  missionary  a  realization  of  the  great 

I 


118  Rock-Breakers 


need  for  fully  trained  and  responsible  leaders.  This  gives 
rise  to  the  station  training-school  which  is  well-nigh 
universal  in  evangelical  work  throughout  Congo.  From 
these  station  training-schools,  conducted  by  the  mission- 
ary and  his  wife  with  such  other  aid  as  the  station  staff 
may  afford,  come  the  leaders  who  become  pastors  of  the 
churches  in  surrounding  villages,  teachers  of  the  village 
schools,  and  evangelists  at  large. 

Practise  differs  as  regards  the  organization  of  church 
life  and  is  very  apt  to  follow  the  particular  form  of  the 
communion  represented  by  the  missionary.  It  may  be 
said,  however,  that  there  is  a  growing  feeling  that  a 
greater  degree  of  initiative  should  be  left  in  the  natives' 
hands  and  responsibility  placed  upon  his  shoulders. 

For  the  most  part  the  native  church  adopts  and  enforces 
its  own  rules  of  discipline.  Mr.  C.  E.  Wilson  in  his 
volume,  "  After  Forty  Years,"  gives  a  statement  of  church 
discipline  in  use  by  the  native  church  at  Yakusu  which 
may  be  taken  as  fairly  indicative  of  the  obligations  of 
church-membership  throughout  Congo: 

1.  He  who  will  miss  communion  three  times  without 
a  worthy  reason  has  committed  a  sin.  He  is  not  fit  to 
partake  again  while  he  is  as  yet  unforgiven. 

2.  He  who  will  not  give  a  gift  during  twelve  months 
will  not  be  given  the  communion  unless  he  has  paid 
arrears. 

3.  The  church  has  prohibited  these  affairs:  Polygamy, 
the  marrying  of  more  than  one  wife ;  drinking  palm-wine ; 
dancing  dances  of  indecency ;  hemp  smoking ;  games  of 
gambling;  irregular  marriage;  consenting  to  marry  a 
polygamist ;  remaining  with  a  husband  who  has  taken  a 
second  wife ;  inheriting  a  father's  wife ;  inheriting  a 
brother's  wife  with  one's  own;  all  the  affairs  of  secret 
spirit  ceremonies. 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  119 

Considerable  progress  has  been  made  in  the  matter  of 
self-support  in  recent  years.  The  importance  of  putting 
the  native  church  upon  a  solid  basis  in  this  respect  was 
not  recognized  by  the  earlier  missionaries  to  the  same 
extent  as  it  now  is  by  their  successors.  There  were, 
however,  notable  exceptions.  Tshumbiri,  a  station  of  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  on  the  main 
river  in  Moyen  Congo,  has  never  had  any  money  from 
the  home  Board  for  outstation  preaching  or  school  work. 
The  station  was  opened  in  1890  by  Rev.  A.  Billington. 
It  was  his  conviction  that  a  genuine  Christianity  should 
lead  to  an  earnest  desire  to  win  others  to  the  faith  and  a 
willingness  to  give  to  the  limit  of  one's  power  to  that 
end.  He  taught  from  the  beginning  that  it  is  the  duty 
of  Christian  people  everywhere  to  spread  the  gospel. 
Some  must  go,  others  must  give.  The  first  church 
was  formed  in  1902,  and  no  member  was  admitted  with- 
out a  pledge  to  support  the  work  by  regular  giving. 
Every  member  makes  his  pledge  at  the  time  of  baptism. 
They  are  called  upon  by  the  church  from  time  to  time  to 
increase  their  gifts  as  their  resources  increase.  In  the 
year  1920  the  membership  had  grown  to  425.  Their 
gifts  for  that  year  were  2,174  francs,  or  5.10  francs  per 
member.  Fifty-five  workers  were  supported,  receiving 
from  three  to  thirty  francs  per  month  each,  and  all  of 
them  were  paid  from  the  funds  thus  contributed.  Each 
teacher  or  preacher  is  responsible  for  the  funds  from  his 
church.  He  keeps  a  book  with  the  names  of  the  members 
and  the  amounts  of  their  pledge.  The  money  is  paid  to 
him  and  accounted  for  quarterly.  One  of  the  best  givers 
is  a  woman  named  Mintoba.  She  is  a  charter  member 
of  the  church  and  gives  two  and  a  half  francs  each  month. 
In  order  to  secure  the  money  she  plants  a  garden,  raises 
manioc,  mills  it  herself,  and  makes  the  native  binguate 


120  Rock-Breakers 


or  bread.  This  she  sells  to  the  river  boats  which  call 
frequently  at  Tshumbiri.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the 
whole  process  from  soil  to  finished  product  and  marketing 
is  due  to  her  industry. 

Under  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metzger,  who  are  now  in  charge 
of  the  station,  self-support  has  been  encouraged  and  de- 
veloped. The  members  have  inaugurated  the  plan  of 
bringing  special  gifts  in  addition  to  their  regular  offer- 
ings. If  one  of  them  has  a  successful  fishing  trip  or  is 
fortunate  enough  to  kill  a  hippopotamus,  he  usually 
brings  a  special  gift. 

The  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance  has  been  very 
successful  in  inculcating  a  spirit  of  giving  in  the  churches 
under  its  care.  Mr.  Mason  states  that  not  only  are  they 
carrying  their  own  local  expenses  but  ten  per  cent,  of 
all  offerings  is  set  aside  for  missions  abroad.  The 
churches  are  ready  to  carry  the  expenses  of  any  serious 
betterment  needed  for  their  property.  One  of  their 
churches  recently  raised  900  francs  for  a  cement  floor. 
The  Congo  Balolo  Mission  working  among  the  Lin- 
gombe  people  has  rather  a  singular  custom.  They  have 
adopted  the  policy  of  having  a  woman  treasurer  for  each 
church.  She  is  considered  more  honest,  better  able  to 
hold  the  money,  and  more  courageous  in  securing  it  than 
a  man  would  be.  She  is  a  veritable  mother  in  Israel. 
She  becomes  responsible  for  the  money  and  gives  a  re- 
ceipt for  it.  Rev.  E.  A.  Ruskin,  who  furnishes  these 
details,  states  that  it  has  the  efifect  upon  the  woman  her- 
self of  making  her  jealous  for  the  welfare  of  the  church. 
She  keeps  an  eye  upon  the  members  and  labors  with 
any  one  who  is  negligent  in  church  attendance  and  duties. 

One  of  these  women  treasurers  went  so  far  as  to 
remonstrate  with  the  medal  chief  appointed  by  the  StatC;, 
for  disturbing  the  church. 


REV.  P.  C.  METZGER  AND   MRS.  METZGER 
MR.  METZGER  AND  STUDENTS 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  121 

"  Why  did  you  have  the  drum  beaten  at  service  time 
and  call  for  people  to  go  and  hunt?  " 

The  chief  replied,  "  I  was  hungry  and  need  meat  on 
Sunday  as  well  as  other  days." 

"  Well,"  said  she,  "  remember  in  future  that  this  is 
God's  day,  and  we  should  observe  it  for  him." 

There  are  about  thirty  of  the  churches  which  have 
women  treasurers.  They  practically  become  deaconesses 
but  are  not  paid.  While  they  exercise  great  vigilance  in 
preserving  the  discipline  of  the  church,  they  always  re- 
joice to  receive  the  sinner  into  church-membership  again 
when  there  is  evidence  of  repentance. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission  has  adopted 
the  envelope  system  in  some  of  its  churches.  At  Lu- 
sambo  there  is  a  church  with  about  two  hundred  members. 
One  hundred  eighty-five  of  them  have  envelopes  and  are 
giving  a  tenth  of  their  incomes.  Rev,  Joseph  Clark 
states  that  at  Ntondo  each  member  promises  to  give  regu- 
larly upon  entering  the  church.  The  question  was  asked : 
"  What  is  done  if  he  fails  to  keep  his  promise  ?  " 

"  They  put  him  out  of  the  church." 

"  What,  do  they  put  him  out  for  not  paying?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  response,  "  they  put  him  out  of  the 
church  for  lying." 

Rev.  A.  R.  Stonelake  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
states  that  at  Lukolele,  which  has  been  without  a  resi- 
dent missionary  for  ten  years,  they  have  an  old  woman 
as  treasurer.  On  communion  Sundays  the  members  bring 
their  gifts.  The  native  evangelist  reads  the  roll,  and  as 
each  member  hands  in  his  contribution  it  is  received  by 
the  treasurer.  The  evangelist  keeps  the  key  to  the  house 
where  the  money  is  kept,  but  the  woman  keeps  the  key 
to  the  money-box  within  the  house. 

Rev.  J.  E.  Geil,  of  Banza  Manteke,  has  recently  met 


122  Rock-Breakers 


with  very  great  success  in  introducing-  systematic  methods 
of  church  finance  and  self-support.  Banza  Manteke  is 
the  site  of  the  wonderful  triumphs  of  the  gospel  in  other 
days.  The  people  at  that  time  were  poor,  and  their 
gifts  were  not  large.  With  the  coming  of  the  railroad 
and  the  development  of  the  country,  the  means  of  secur- 
ing money  have  multiplied,  and  the  incomes  of  the  people 
have  proportionately  increased.  Unfortunately  their  con- 
tributions to  the  church  have  not  kept  pace  with  their 
growing  financial  capacity. 

Mr.  Geil  came  to  the  conclusion  that  nothing  could 
be  so  salutary  for  the  spiritual  life  of  the  church  as  a 
revival  of  the  primitive  grace  of  giving  and  resolved  to 
make  an  effort  to  bring  this  about. 

It  was  manifestly  not  an  easy  task  which  was  before 
him.  Easy-going  ways  which  had  been  followed  for  years, 
had  brought  the  members  to  the  place  where  they  failed 
to  see  the  spiritual  relationship  between  faithfulness  in 
the  use  of  one's  money  and  the  blessing  of  God  upon 
one's  soul.  Mr.  Geil  began  a  campaign  of  thorough 
teaching  upon  the  subject.  Above  all  the  people  in  lower 
Congo  the  Banza  Manteke  people  know  the  Scriptures, 
and  Mr.  Geil  had  the  advantage  of  the  support  of  the 
word.  It  was  not  long  before  he  had  the  leading  teach- 
ers and  preachers  with  him  in  the  matter,  and  they 
decided  upon  laying  it  frankly  before  the  church  and  in- 
stituting an  every-member  canvass.  A  meeting  of  teach- 
ers, pastors,  and  village  chiefs  was  held,  at  which  an 
estimate  was  given  of  the  amount  each  village  would 
need  to  raise  in  order  to  support  its  own  teacher.  There 
was  some  objection,  particularly  from  a  certain  village, 
the  leaders  of  which  claimed  that  they  were  too  poor  to 
increase  their  giving.  It  was  pointed  out  to  them  that 
money  was  forthcoming  for  every  other  purpose.     Their 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  123 

own  associates  were  the  first  to  expose  the  fallacy  of  the 
poverty  argument.  It  was  found  that  in  the  village  in 
question  a  poor  widow  was  giving  more  per  week  than 
either  the  chief  or  the  teacher.  The  outcome  of  the 
meeting  was  that  every  village  in  the  district  agreed  to 
assume  not  only  the  support  of  its  teacher,  but  also  the 
miscellaneous  expenses  of  the  work  in  the  village.  En- 
thusiasm grew  as  the  matter  developed  until  a  hearty 
and  happy  interest  was  evident  in  all  directions.  Many 
cases  of  really  sacrificial  giving  developed.  One  of  these 
was  the  case  of  Isake  Muendo.  He  is  a  little  man  with 
straggling  whiskers  and  earnest  face;  clad  in  an  ancient 
khaki  coat  of  faded  hue,  a  ragged  pair  of  trousers,  but 
neither  shoes  nor  hat.  He  made  an  impassioned  address 
at  one  of  the  meetings.  It  seems  that  he  is  receiving  ten 
francs  per  month,  and  during  the  past  seven  months  he 
and  his  family  have  given  francs  48. 

The  effect  upon  the  churches  has  already  been  most 
healthful.  There  is  a  new  animation  and  activity.  While 
the  atmosphere  was  temporarily  disturbed  quite  seriously 
by  the  prophet  movement,  the  agitation  has  quieted  down 
and  new  and  substantial  progress  in  the  gospel  work  is 
being  made. 

A  description  of  the  service  held  on  Sunday  morning 
at  Lukunga  will  perhaps  best  illustrate  the  Congo  method 
of  conducting  worship  as  well  as  yield  some  side-lights 
upon  the  general  method  of  carrying  on  the  business  of 
the  church. 

The  people  gathered  early  in  the  morning,  but  the  ser- 
vice was  not  called  until  10.30.  There  were  too  many  for 
all  to  be  accommodated  in  the  little  brick  church,  and  they 
came  together  in  a  great  booth  which  had  been  erected  in 
the  center  of  the  compound.  It  was  a  primitive  structure ; 
merely  a  series  of  poles  stuck  in  the  ground  with  palm 


124  Rock-Breakers 


leaves  laid  over  a  framework  for  protection  from  the 
sun.  More  than  four  hundred  crowded  under  this  shel- 
ter. The  mission  is  built  on  a  broad  plateau  surrounded 
by  plains  and  with  the  hills  rising  on  all  sides  at  a  moderate 
distance.  The  air  was  limpid  and  the  sunshine  brilliant 
and  stimulating.  It  was  a  joy  to  worship  thus  in  God's 
green  temple  undisturbed  by  confining  walls.  By  the 
side  of  the  tabernacle  there  was  a  branching  tree  with 
a  group  of  boys  and  young  men  perched  like  monkeys  in 
it.  The  palm  leaves  forming  the  roof  were  partly  dried 
and  curled  up,  leaving  many  interstices,  and  splashes  of 
golden  sunlight  dappled  the  clay  floor. 

There  was  the  lusty  singing  of  hymns  with  an  ex- 
hortation from  the  pastor  not  to  caw  or  crow  like  birds, 
but  to  sing  sweetly  and  well.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  were 
present  for  the  first  time  after  long  absence,  and  the 
royal  welcome  given  them  was  a  testimony  to  the  affec- 
tion in  which  they  are  held. 

They  had  asked  the  visitor  from  America  to  speak,  and 
Budimbu,  one  of  the  teachers  who  had  been  in  England 
for  a  time  and  knew  English  fairly  well,  was  to  inter- 
pret. The  latter  sat  in  a  front  seat  during  the  preliminary 
exercises,  holding  his  little  naked  baby  upon  his  knee. 
When  he  arose  to  interpret  he  placed  the  baby  on  the 
ground  at  our  feet.  For  a  time  it  played  with  my  shoe 
which  seemed  to  strike  its  fancy,  then  growing  weary,  it 
lay  down  in  the  dust  at  our  feet  and  went  to  sleep. 
Three  dogs  wandered  at  will  among  the  assembled  com- 
pany during  the  address.  A  hen  joined  the  company. 
A  little  lad  sitting  on  the  floor  in  front  rubbed  the  back  of 
one  of  the  dogs  giving  it  much  comfort  from  its  many 
fleas. 

After  the  sermon  and  a  hymn  the  pastor  called  for 
cases  of  discipline.     One  young  man  has  drunk  palm- 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  125 

wine  and  danced.  He  confesses  before  the  whole  church 
and  asks  forgiveness.  A  young  woman  has  married  out- 
side the  church;  she  follows  the  example  of  the  young 
man.  The  deacons  hear  the  confessions  and  ask  ques- 
tions. These  are  no  light  matters  and  call  for  serious 
and  prayerful  action.  No  one  is  permitted  to  make 
public  confession  and  ask  for  restoration  until  he  has 
demonstrated  the  sincerity  of  his  repentance  by  living 
a  life  free  from  blame  for  several  months.  He  is  then 
put  on  probation  for  a  period  ranging  from  six  months 
to  a  year  before  restoration. 

After  the  cases  for  discipline  have  been  disposed  of 
a  young  man  presents  a  letter  and  card  from  the  church 
at  Matadi  saying  that  he  is  in  good  standing.  The 
church  votes  to  receive  him  by  gentle  clapping  of  the 
hands  in  rhythmic  unison. 

A  variety  of  old  straw  and  felt  hats  have  been  hung 
upon  the  branches  of  trees.  We  had  to  keep  ours  on  for 
fear  of  the  sun  which  searched  us  out  through  the  de- 
fective thatch.  The  collection  is  to  be  taken.  The  mis- 
cellaneous hats  descend  from  the  trees,  a  square  tray  is 
also  used.  The  pastor  reads  the  names  of  the  members 
from  the  church  roll,  and  they  respond  by  saying  how 
much  they  are  putting  in  the  collection;  the  amount  is 
written  in  the  book  opposite  their  names.  The  number  of 
those  who  give  includes  some  who  are  not  yet  members 
of  the  church.  If  a  member  is  absent  he  is  expected  to 
make  up  the  deficiency  next  time.  If  he  falls  into  arrears 
he  is  disciplined.  Time  is  no  object  to  the  Congo  native. 
The  collection  is  not  a  part  of  the  worship  of  God  which 
ought  to  be  slighted,  so  it  is  carried  forward  leisurely  and 
occupies  a  considerable  period.  Thus  the  service  draws 
to  a  dignified  conclusion,  and  the  total  impression  made 
upon  the  visitor  is  that  these  people  take  their  religion 


126  Rock-Breakers 


both  joyfully  and  seriously,  and  that  the  coming  of  the 
gospel  has  put  great  content  into  empty  lives. 

The  natives  of  the  Congo  dearly  love  a  palaver.  More- 
over, they  are  skilful  in  debate  and  enrich  their  discourse 
by  many  fables  and  proverbs.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
day  upon  which  the  service  above  described  was  held,  we 
had  an  extensive  palaver  with  the  chiefs,  teachers,  and 
preachers,  as  well  as  many  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
Lukunga  district.  They  had  a  series  of  questions  to 
bring  to  me  and  were  particularly  anxious  to  know 
whether  Lukunga  was  to  be  left  longer  without  a  white 
missionary.  They  also  asked  whether  they  ought  to  be 
required  to  worship  in  a  mere  booth  such  as  that  in  which 
we  were  then  meeting.  I  replied  to  the  latter  question  by 
telling  them  the  story  of  a  church  in  Pennsylvania,  built 
by  the  hands  of  its  pastor  and  members.  They  imme- 
diately rose  to  the  idea,  but  said  they  wanted  the  white 
missionary  to  help  plan  and  to  secure  tools  for  them. 

They  asked  questions  about  the  prices  charged  for 
medicine,  the  clothing  furnished  boys  at  school  on  the 
stations,  the  high  cost  of  living,  and  the  opportunity  for 
further  schooling.  We  talked  these  things  over  frankly. 
There  were  some  vigorous  speeches  on  both  sides.  They 
took  our  explanation  in  good  part  and  closed  by  sending 
many  expressions  of  good-will  to  the  brethren  in  America 
from  the  Christians  in  Lukunga.  Then  they  gathered 
about  us  in  a  circle  and  spontaneously  joined  in  a  parting 
hymn.  Lukorki,  one  of  the  native  pastors,  offered  an 
earnest  prayer  that  God  would  keep  the  American  visitor 
in  his  farther  journey  all  the  way  on  road  and  river,  by 
steamboat  and  caravan. 

The  development  of  women's  work  in  the  Congo  has 
not  kept  pace  with  that  of  the  general  work.  The  woman 
has  been  considered  not  only  the  weaker  vessel,  but  also 


The  Church  of  Christ  in  Congo  127 

the  decidedly  inferior  element  in  the  social  order.  She 
has  borne  a  disproportionate  share  of  the  burdens  and 
sufferings  of  the  race.  She  was  and  is  still  in  large 
measure  the  slave  of  the  man. 

Even  when  the  native  peoples  began  to  receive  the 
gospel  it  was  natural  for  the  emphasis  to  be  placed  upon 
the  importance  of  winning  the  men.  The  earlier  schools 
were  almost  always  boys'  schools,  and  though  many  seri- 
ous efforts  were  made  from  time  to  time  in  the  direction 
of  training  girls,  still  the  main  educational  work  was  for 
boys.  There  were  perhaps  two  reasons  for  this:  First, 
there  was  the  difficulty  of  securing  girls  for  training. 
The  girl  was  a  marketable  property  and  from  her  early 
years  was  expected  to  work  beside  her  mother  in  tilling 
the  soil.  The  second  reason  was  the  very  great  need  for 
native  teachers  and  preachers,  to  the  training  of  whom 
the  school  work  was  most  largely  directed. 

The  situation  is  now  changing.  Increasing  emphasis 
is  being  placed  upon  the  education  of  women.  Many 
of  the  stations  have  girls'  schools,  although  they  are 
smaller  than  the  schools  for  boys.  The  young  men 
themselves  are  taking  the  initiative  in  asking  that  their 
future  wives  be  trained.  Some  few  women  native  work- 
ers are  being  developed  as  teachers,  matrons,  evangelistic 
workers,  and  occasionally  nurses. 

Special  attention  is  also  being  given  to  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  women.  One  of  the  most  thrilling  sights  I  have 
seen  was  Mrs.  Moody's  class  of  women  inquirers  at  Sona 
Bata.  They  met  in  the  brick  church — not  less  than  150 
of  them.  They  might  all  have  found  room  upon  the 
benches,  but  it  is  perhaps  typical  of  the  African  woman's 
own  estimate  of  herself  that  instead  of  taking  the  most 
comfortable  and  dignified  place  available,  as  the  men 
would  have  done,  they  huddled  closely  together  on  the 


128  Rock-Breakers 


floor  at  the  front  of  the  church,  only  a  comparatively  few 
of  them  occupying  the  adjacent  seats. 

Almost  every  woman  had  a  baby  in  her  arms,  for  the 
most  part  occupied  with  its  morning  meal.  The  majority 
of  both  babies  and  mothers  were  fat  and  healthy,  though 
some  had  sores  upon  their  bodies.  They  came  from  vil- 
lages at  some  distance  from  the  station  where  there  are 
no  teachers.  Therefore  few  can  read,  and  it  is  needful 
to  teach  them  the  simple  truths  of  the  gospel  by  memory. 
They  are  studying  to  become  church-members.  Their 
clothing  is  meager,  for  the  most  part  a  single  cloth 
wrapped  about  the  body  and  tucked  in  above  the  breasts, 
but  there  is  every  evidence  of  modesty.  Their  faces  are 
alert  and  interested.  Each  has  brought  a  thank-offering 
ranging  in  amount  from  fifty  centimes  to  two  francs. 

Mrs.  Moody  talked  to  them  simply  and  earnestly. 
They  listened  quietly  and  with  great  interest.  Knowing 
something  of  their  lives,  of  the  ordinary  deadening 
routine  of  the  garden  work,  the  home  duties,  the  heavy 
labor,  the  child-bearing,  the  submission  to  male  caprice, 
the  position  of  inferiority,  and  the  lack  of  any  uplifting 
or  refining  influence,  it  was  a  marvel  to  me  that  there 
should  still  be  present  a  spark  of  spiritual  perception  to 
be  fanned  into  a  flame  by  the  breath  of  heaven's  message, 
and  I  could  not  but  reflect  upon  the  devotion  of  their 
leader  who  had  chosen  to  leave  the  benefits  and  privileges 
of  her  own  land,  a  condition  as  far  removed  from  the 
experience  and  knowledge  of  these  women  before  her 
as  heaven  is  from  earth,  in  order  to  pour  into  their 
poverty-stricken  hearts  the  full  content  of  her  own  rich 
life. 


VI 

MOLDING  MEN 


"  Two  fundamental  principles  underlie  industrial  work.  First, 
the  attainment  of  a  church  supported  by  the  natives  through  the 
thrift  and  industry  of  their  own  hands.  The  time  is  past  when 
we  may  merely  teach  the  native  to  become  a  Christian,  and 
then  leave  him  in  his  poverty  and  squalor  where  he  can  be  of 
little  or  no  use  to  the  church.  Second,  the  preparation  of  the 
native  to  take  the  largest  and  most  influential  positions  in  the 
development  of  the  Colony." — R^  D.  Bedinger. 


MOLDING  MEN 


The  necessity  of  giving  the  native  some  means  of  edu- 
cation was  early  recognized  by  the  missionaries  to  the 
Congo,  and  schools  were  very  soon  started.  They  were 
of  a  very  informal  character  at  first,  and  frequently  grew 
out  of  the  necessity  of  providing  shelter  for  new  converts 
at  the  mission  station  and  protecting  them  from  deadly 
persecution.  It  was  seen  too  that  foreign  missionaries 
could  never  be  sent  to  the  field  in  sufficient  numbers  to 
do  the  actual  work  of  hand-to-hand  evangelization  neces- 
sary to  make  a  Qiristian  country  of  the  Congo,  hence  the 
advisability  of  taking  advantage  of  the  impulse  of  the 
new  convert  to  carry  in  turn  the  good  news  to  his  own 
people. 

But  this  required  that  he  should  be  sufficiently  taught 
in  the  word  of  God  to  be  able  to  explain  intelligently 
the  gospel  message  to  others,  and  that  he  should  have 
a  knowledge  of  reading  to  enable  him  to  draw  for  him- 
self upon  the  inexhaustible  mine  of  inspiration  and  aid 
found  in  the  Scriptures. 

Many  varying  excursions  into  the  field  of  education 
have  been  made,  but  the  exigencies  of  the  work  have 
brought  into  permanent  being  three  main  types  of  school — 
the  village  school,  the  station  boarding-school,  and  the 
training-school  for  preachers.  In  actual  practise  the  two 
latter  have  ever  shown  a  tendency  to  coalesce. 

The  curriculum  of  all  these  schools  is  for  the  most  part 
very  simple  and  is  directed  more  particularly  to  the 
purpose  of  producing  teachers  and  preachers. 

131 


132  Rock-Breakers 

The  village  school  is  the  effort  of  the  missions  to  supply 
the  deficiency  of  State  schools  of  primary  grade.  The 
State  has  made  no  effort  whatever  in  the  direction  of 
popular  education,  and  there  seems  no  probability  of  its 
doing  so  in  the  immediate  future.  The  mission  village 
school  therefore  forms  the  only  doorway  for  the  village 
boy  or  girl  to  emerge  from  the  obscurity  of  his  local 
ignorance  into  the  broader  understanding  of  life  pre- 
sented through  books  and  learning. 

Even  at  its  best  the  village  school  is  extremely  primitive 
and  inadequate.  Dr.  Thomas  Jesse  Jones,  in  his  Tentative 
Report  as  Chairman  of  the  African  Education  Commis- 
sion, speaks  as  follows  of  the  system  as  thus  far  developed : 

The  devoted  missionaries  of  Europe  and  America  have  gone 
off  into  the  highways  and  hedges  to  evangelize  the  masses  of  the 
people.  They  have  discovered  natives  of  some  ability  and  placed 
them  as  teachers  in  numerous  little  bush  schools.  They  have 
helped  these  simple  teachers  of  barbaric  people  by  bringing  them 
to  the  central  station  for  meager  instruction  given  for  a  few 
days  or  weeks  each  year.  So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to 
determine,  the  large  majority  of  these  teachers  are  just  able 
to  read  and  to  write,  and  to  add  and  subtract.  A  few  of  them 
are  able  to  handle  long  division,  and  a  few  are  able  to  read 
French  with  much  difficulty.  Only  a  negligible  proportion  of  the 
whole  teaching  group  of  natives  in  the  Congo  have  had  the 
equivalent  of  two  or  three  standards  of  English  education,  or 
four  grades  of  American  schools. 

The  description  here  given  of  the  attainments  of  the 
village  school  teacher  is  in  the  main  certainly  correct. 
The  demands  of  new  villages  for  teachers  have  con- 
stantly tended  to  the  thrusting  out  into  actual  service 
of  inadequately  prepared  men.  Even  now  the  cry  is 
heard  from  every  direction  that  far  more  villages  are 
asking  for  teachers  than  can  possibly  be  supplied.  Hence 
it  is  often  the  case  that  boys  who  have  been  upon  the 


BUILDING  BOYS'  DORMITORY 
Tshumbiri 


f^- 

3RHr^^^           qBMtfHJ^^^E^^^^I^^^I 

H     ■■'*^'W'| 

1    ..jHHH 

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Ml  iM 

MAKING  BRICKS 
Tshumbiri 


Molding  Men  133 


station  from  a  few  months  to  two  or  three  years  and 
have  received  such  meager  academic  training  as  Doctor 
Jones  describes,  together  with  certain  training  in  the 
Bible  and  the  elements  of  Christian  faith,  find  themselves 
in  the  position  of  leader  in  the  community  as  respects 
both  education  and  religion. 

However,  this  difficulty  has  long  been  recognized  and 
efforts  have  been  made  to  offset  it  in  various  ways.  The 
teachers  have  been  called  in  each  year  for  periods  varying 
from  a  few  weeks  to  a  few  months,  and  progressive 
training  through  a  course  of  years  has  been  given  them. 
Certain  promising  youths  have  been  kept  in  the  station 
schools  for  comparatively  long  periods  despite  the  tempta- 
tion to  thrust  them  prematurely  into  the  work.  Schools 
such  as  the  Kongo  Evangelical  Training  Institute  have 
been  organized  where  training  over  a  period  of  three 
years  or  more  is  required  for  graduation.  It  is  manifest, 
therefore,  that  the  general  statement  regarding  the 
meagerness  of  the  preparation  of  the  teachers  of  the 
village  schools  will  admit  of  some  exceptions,  but  even 
at  its  best  it  is  sufficiently  inadequate. 

The  equipment  also  of  the  village  school  is  usually 
very  limited.  It  is  held  in  a  small  bamboo  and  grass 
thatched  hut  which  serves  also  the  purpose  of  a  church 
at  the  time  of  services.  This  building  rarely  contains 
more  than  one  room.  It  is  not  often  that  a  blackboard 
is  found  among  the  furnishings.  The  children  sit  upon 
the  floor  usually,  although  there  are  occasionally  a  few 
benches,  and  a  chair  and  table  for  the  teacher.  The  in- 
struction is  given  by  the  means  of  printed  charts.  A 
few  slates  may  be  found  and  several  primers,  reading- 
books,  portions  of  the  Bible,  and  other  elementary  school- 
books  presenting  various  stages  of  ragged  decrepitude. 
The  school  is  usually  in  session  about  an  hour  and  a 

K 


134  Rock-Breakers 

half  or  two  hours  in  the  morning  each  week-day  un- 
less some  event  of  large  importance  to  the  village  life 
should  interrupt.  Such  an  event  would  be  the  burning 
of  the  grass  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  village,  at  which 
time  all  the  children  would  be  away  from  school  to  join 
in  hunting  the  field-mice  driven  out  by  the  fire. 

Certainly  the  road  to  learning  is  beset  with  difficulties 
for  the  average  boy  or  girl  of  the  African  village.  Never- 
theless the  primitive  village  school  as  here  described 
gives  the  first  contact  with  learning,  and  it  is  from  these 
schools  that  the  brighter  boys  are  passed  on  to  the 
station  schools  and  ultimately  develop  into  such  leaders 
as  Congo  yet  aflfords. 

The  station  boarding-school  has  four  advantages  over 
the  village  school.  It  permits  of  greater  regularity  of 
attendance  at  school  over  an  extended  period,  it  brings 
the  children  into  surroundings  which  are  controlled  by  the 
missionary  in  the  interests  of  the  school,  it  aflfords  in- 
struction by  the  white  missionary  and  by  assistants  under 
his  immediate  supervision,  it  gives  a  much  broader  cur- 
riculum and  more  thorough  work. 

It  is  possible  in  the  station  school  to  carry  the  pupil 
far  beyond  the  meager  attainments  of  the  village  school. 
Rev.  J.  Peterson,  of  the  Swedish  Mission  Society,  gives 
the  curriculum  of  their  station  schools  which  may  perhaps 
be  taken  as  fairly  representative  of  schools  of  other 
Societies.  It  is  quoted  here  from  the  Report  of  the  Congo 
Missionary  Conference  held  at  Luebo  in  1918 : 

Scripture  Teaching: 

1  class :  Bible  history,  New  Testament. 

2  class:  Bible  history.  Old  Testament. 

3  class :  Review  of  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

4  class:  Lessons   from  the  Bible. 


Molding  Men  135 


Arithmetic : 

1  class :   Addition,    subtraction,   multiplication   from   1-99,   long 
measure  of  the  metric  system. 

2  class:  Addition,     subtraction,     multiplication,     and     division 

1-999,  measures  of  weight. 

3  class :  Review  of  second  class  course,  time  and  measures  of 

quantity. 

4  class  :  Monetary  system. 

Writing : 

1  class :  Words  and  sentences  on  slates. 

2  class :  Words  and  sentences  in  copy-book ;  beginning  to  write 

from  dictation, 

3  &  4  class:  Writing  from  dictation  and  composition. 

Reading : 
In  all  classes. 

Geography : 

3  class :  Congo  and  Africa. 

4  class:  Review   of    Congo    and   Africa;    the   other    parts    of 

the  world. 

Natural  History: 

3  class :  Physiology. 

4  class :  Zoology  and  botany. 

The  Grammar  of  the  Mother  Tongue: 

3  class:  Substantive,  adjective,  verb; 

Subject,  predicate,  object. 

4  class :  Review  of  third  class  course  and  completion. 

French : 
3  and  4  class:  Two  to  three  hours  a  week. 

Singing : 
All  classes :  I  hour  a  week. 

Needlework  and  Carpentry: 
Classes  3  and  4:  Two  or  three  afternoons  every  week. 


136  Rock-Breakers 

The  equipment  even  for  the  station  boarding-schools  is 
usually  far  from  perfect.  The  writer  made  the  following 
note  of  the  living  arrangements  for  the  boys  upon  one 
station. 

The  boarding-school  boys  are  housed  in  three  hovels  built 
of  odds  and  ends  of  lumber  with  tin  roofs  and  no  floor.  Furni- 
ture crude  in  the  extreme,  wooden  beds,  no  bedding,  no  tables 
or  chairs,  a  few  shelves.  No  cooking  arrangements  except  a 
few  native  pots.  Fires  built  on  stones  out  of  doors.  Huts  con- 
stantly infested  with  vermin.  Little  or  no  better  than  their 
native  state. 

Such  a  picture  which  fell  under  my  personal  observa- 
tion, was  formerly  the  common  condition,  and  is  all  too 
frequent  now. 

The  report  of  the  Educational  Commission  emphasizes 
this  in  a  paragraph  reading  as  follows: 

We  are  not  urging  the  introduction  of  European  furniture 
and  food  as  requisites  of  proper  regard  for  sleeping  and  eating  in 
African  schools.  The  minimum  which  we  emphatically  urge 
upon  every  boarding-school  is  that  there  shall  be  such  facilities 
and  such  supervision  as  will  convince  the  native  pupils  that  the 
sleeping  and  eating  functions  are  equal  in  educational  importance 
to  any  other  on  the  school  program.  The  extent  of  the  neglect 
of  these  functions  in  some  excellent  schools  which  we  have 
visited  may  properly  be  described  as  shocking. 

Happily  these  conditions  are  now  rapidly  changing. 
Experiments  in  housing  arrangements  for  boarding-school 
pupils  are  giving  rise  to  advanced  construction  of  a  very 
praiseworthy  type.  At  Bolenge  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
Congo  Mission  has  erected  a  girls'  dormitory  in  the  form 
of  a  quadrangle  with  a  large  inner  court.  The  entrance 
is  flanked  by  the  quarters  of  the  married  native  couple 
who  have  the  physical  welfare  of  the  girls  as  their  special 
charge.     The  building  is  of  brick,  and  a  similar  plan  is 


MONDANGE,  A  DEACON, 

WITH  FAMILY 

Tshumbiri 


Molding  Men  137 


being  followed  in  erecting  quarters  for  the  boys.  Seri- 
ous attention  is  now  being  given  by  all  the  missions  to 
the  housing  of  students,  and  other  types  of  building  are 
also  being  tried. 

The  training-school  for  preachers  and  teachers  is  per- 
haps the  oldest  form  of  educational  work  in  Congo.  It 
must  needs  exist  at  every  station  at  least  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  The  needs  of  the  work  demand  the  con- 
stant service  of  great  numbers  of  workers.  The  number 
of  out-schools  and  preaching-places  in  connection  with 
each  station  ranges  from  fifty  up  into  the  hundreds.  It 
will  be  a  long  time  before  fully  trained  teachers  or  pastors 
are  available  for  all  these  places,  and  in  the  meantime 
each  station  must  continue  to  train  a  large  number  of 
workers,  constantly  striving  to  better  the  education  they 
are  given. 

Rev.  Seymour  E.  Moon,  the  Principal  of  Kongo  Evan- 
gelical Training  Institute  at  Kimpese,  expresses  the  prin- 
ciple which  underlies  the  training  of  these  men  as  follows : 

These  teachers  should  be  brought  together  at  frequent  regu- 
lar periods  so  that  their  work  can  be  checked  up,  their  efficiency 
increased,  and  that  they  may  be  inspired  and  encouraged  in  their 
difficult  work.  The  more  faithful  they  have  been,  the  harder 
they  have  had  to  tug  and  pull  at  people  to  lift  them  up ;  hence 
they  soon  need  new  inspiration  which  can  only  come  from  fresh 
contact  with  their  former  teachers  and  with  others  who  have 
been  facing  like  difficulties.  At  such  times  they  should  be  given 
new  educational  material  for  the  next  term's  work  and  taught 
how  to  use  it. 

It  is  probable  that  the  unorganized  forms  of  training 
have  had  quite  as  much  value  for  the  natives  as  the  regu- 
lar provision  made  for  their  education. 

Contact  with  the  white  missionary  has  given  the  native 
new  ideas  of  cleanliness,  justice,  probity,  personal  purity, 


138  Rock-Breakers 


honesty,  and  industry.  The  missionary  is  the  black  man's 
Bible  in  a  far  truer  way  probably  than  he  suspects.  Even 
the  virtues  which  one  is  inclined  at  times  to  consider 
of  minor  importance,  such  as  patience,  humility,  con- 
sideration, kindness,  a  cheerful  demeanor,  and  a  pleasant 
tone  of  voice,  have  vast  influence  upon  the  African. 
Many  a  missionary  fails  of  his  greatest  usefulness  for 
lack  of  recognizing  the  truth  of  this  latter  observation. 

The  missionary's  home  too  is  a  great  civilizing  and 
Christianizing  agent.  The  relations  which  exist  between 
the  missionary  and  his  wife,  the  tenderness  and  assiduous 
care  bestowed  upon  the  children,  even  the  neatness  and 
order  of  the  dwelling,  its  comfort  and  convenience,  have 
their  message  for  the  surrounding  community. 

But  there  is  more  than  this  in  the  unorganized  training 
of  the  native.  The  children  in  the  school  must  eat  to 
live,  and  mission  funds  being  small,  the  missionary  plants 
gardens  for  the  support  of  his  great  family,  and  in  the 
process  both  boys  as  well  as  girls  learn  better  methods 
of  cultivating  the  soil  and  become  familiar  with  food 
products  not  ordinarily  included  in  the  native  bill  of  fare. 
Moreover,  the  food  must  be  prepared,  and  improved 
methods  of  cooking  are  taught. 

Many  industries  have  developed  from  the  exigencies 
of  missionary  compound  building.  At  Tshumbiri  I  was 
impressed  with  the  valuable  results  which  have  come  from 
the  engineering  training  and  experience  possessed  by 
the  missionary  in  charge.  Rev.  P.  C.  Metzger.  In  the 
course  of  building  operations  he  has  taught  a  large  group 
of  men  the  details  of  the  sawyer's  trade.  They  now  make 
their  living  by  cutting  the  harder  and  more  valuable  trees 
in  the  forest  and  sawing  them  into  boards  of  varied 
dimensions  as  required  by  the  trade.  These  are  sold 
to  trading  companies,  who  ship  them  to  Kinshasa  and 


Molding  Men  139 


other  points.  They  get  about  fifteen  francs  for  a  board 
twelve  feet  long  and  two  by  eight  inches. 

Lumbering  operations  were  taking  place  a  few  miles 
from  the  station  during  my  visit.  We  paddled  up  the 
river  early  in  the  morning,  and  pushed  the  boat  in  through 
the  marsh-grass  which  skirts  the  shore,  and  landed  at  the 
foot  of  a  well-forested  hill.  As  in  most  Congo  woods,  the 
underbrush  was  very  dense,  and  tangled  creepers  com- 
bined with  the  shrubbery  and  bushes  to  render  it  almost 
impassable.  The  sawyers  had  been  at  work  for  some 
time,  however,  in  this  particular  part  of  the  forest  and 
had  cut  a  good  many  of  the  larger  trees,  clearing  the 
undergrowth  to  some  extent  in  the  process.  Several 
trees  were  already  felled  and  were  being  sawed  into 
proper  lengths  and  sizes.  The  men  had  become  quite 
familiar  with  the  details  of  the  task,  and  in  so  far  as 
knowledge  is  concerned  were  capable  of  dealing  with  the 
the  largest  and  most  difficult  trees.  They  have  learned 
to  use  the  level  and  pumb-line.  They  know  how  to  pre- 
pare a  saw-pit  and  to  mark  the  logs  for  cutting.  They 
use  a  variety  of  saws,  but  seem  to  prefer  the  simple 
hand-saw  suitable  for  one  man.  They  grow  careless, 
however,  and  in  spite  of  their  perfect  understanding  of 
the  need  for  accuracy  in  sawing  the  boards,  they  often 
deviate  from  the  lines  and  produce  crooked  timbers. 

Moreover,  when  the  native  sawyers  are  faced  by  an 
unusually  large  tree  their  hearts  fail  them  before  the 
task.  Although  they  know  perfectly  well  how  to  go  at 
it,  they  come  to  the  missionary  and  say : 

"  This  work  is  too  hard  for  us.  You  must  come  and 
help  us.  This  task  needs  the  white  man's  eyes  and 
wisdom." 

Brick-making  is  an  industry  which  has  become  very 
widely  known  and  practised  throughout  Congo,  through 


140  Rock-Breakers 


the  efforts  of  the  missionary.  In  most  locaHties  there  is 
clay  suitable  for  making  bricks,  and  this  has  become  one 
of  the  commoner  building  materials.  On  most  mission 
stations  a  brick-kiln  is  to  be  found  with  a  fair  number  of 
experienced  men  who  have  learned  the  art  from  the  white 
missionaries.  There  is  an  increasing  tendency  for  the 
native  to  use  this  and  other  permanent  materials  in  the 
erection  of  his  own  dwelling.  Near  Kinshasa  an  experi- 
enced native  has  established  a  kiln  for  commercial  pur- 
poses and  is  carrying  on  a  good  business  with  the  foreign 
firms  at  that  point. 

Not  a  few  other  lines  of  industrial  endeavor  have  been 
introduced  to  the  natives  through  the  exigencies  of  the 
needs  of  the  work,  such  as  carpentry,  blacksmithing,  and 
sewing.  It  is  in  comparatively  recent  years,  however,  that 
effort  has  been  made  to  introduce  these  side  lines  into  the 
regular  curriculum  of  the  school,  and  this  brings  us  to  a 
consideration  of  the  present  educational  outlook. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  evangelical  mission  work 
in  Congo  is  entering  a  new  epoch  in  respect  to  education. 
There  is  a  new  enthusiasm  for  thorough  educational 
work.  There  is  a  new  recognition  of  its  paramount  im- 
portance at  this  time.  There  is  a  wide-spread  study  of 
educational  methods,  embracing  what  has  been  done  in 
all  the  great  mission  fields  of  the  world  from  the  work 
among  the  negroes  in  the  Southern  States  of  America 
to  India  and  the  Philippine  Islands.  Industrial  training 
is  assuming  its  proper  place  in  the  scheme.  Trained 
educators  are  being  sent  and  adequate  educational  plants 
are  being  projected. 

The  past  four  decades  have  been  the  period  of  wide- 
spread evangelization  and  the  preempting  of  Congo's 
great  territory  for  the  Master.  Beginning  with  the 
early   pioneering  journeys   in  the   lower   Congo,   God's 


Molding  Men  141 


messengers  have  pushed  forward  until  they  have  well- 
nigh  covered  the  great  field.  The  original  two  societies 
entering  the  work  have  increased  until  there  are  now  no 
less  than  twenty-one  societies  carrying  on  work  in  the 
Congo,  But  it  has  become  manifest  that  there  are  natural 
limits  to  the  work  of  evangelization  unless  large  numbers 
of  trained  native  leaders  can  be  produced.  The  work 
has  reached  a  stage  where  it  demands  the  intelligent 
cooperation  of  the  African  himself  in  its  leadership  as 
well  as  in  the  humbler  phases  of  discipleship.  It  is  clear, 
too,  that  the  task  can  never  be  complete  until  an  educated 
and  cultivated  laity  has  been  created  to  support  the 
church  leaders  who  may  be  expected  from  the  schools. 
Without  any  reflection  upon  the  work  of  the  past,  which 
in  many  respects  is  beyond  all  praise,  the  needs  of  the 
day  call  for  a  restudy  of  the  whole  situation  and  the 
projection  of  wisely  laid  plans  to  meet  the  new  con- 
ditions. 

It  was  most  fitting  and  providential,  therefore,  that 
the  African  Education  Commission  should  have  been  sent 
out  at  this  time.  The  latter  consisted  of  a  group  of  ex- 
perienced educationalists  sent  out  jointly  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Societies  of  North  Amer- 
ica and  the  Phelps-Stokes  Fund.  It  was  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Dr.  Thomas  Jesse  Jones,  Educational  Director  of 
the  Phelps-Stokes  Fund.  It  visited  the  various  sections 
of  equatorial  Africa  in  1920  and  1921,  making  a  careful 
study  of  the  conditions  in  existence,  and  has  recently 
rendered  a  report  which  is  not  only  a  valuable  contribution 
to  a  better  understanding  of  the  educational  situation 
upon  the  fields  touched  but  also  makes  recommendations 
of  far-reaching  significance  for  the  further  development 
of  the  work. 

A  tentative  report  of  the  Education  Commission  was 


142  Rock-Breakers 


in  the  hands  of  the  brethren  at  the  General  Mission 
Conference,  which  was  held  at  Bolenge,  October  30  to 
November  7,  1921,  and  was  of  inestimable  value  in  en- 
abling the  Conference  to  frame  an  educational  policy  in 
keeping  with  the  needs  of  the  times. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  suggestion  made  to  the 
Conference  by  the  Education  Commission  was  in  respect 
to  the  adaptation  of  educational  methods  to  the  actual 
needs  of  the  people.  Stress  was  laid  upon  the  importance 
of  including  health  measures  in  the  curriculum.  Skill 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  was  also  emphasized  not 
only  as  a  means  of  supply  for  the  family  but  for  the 
raising  of  products  for  the  market.  Gardening  should 
not  be  a  part  of  the  labor  system  of  the  school  but  one 
of  the  essential  elements  of  instruction.  It  was  stated 
that  hand-work  should  be  taught  in  every  school,  espe- 
cially that  form  of  hand  skill  required  in  the  communities 
where  the  pupils  are  to  live  and  work.  The  sleeping  and 
eating  facilities  were  referred  to  as  presenting  distinct 
possibilities  of  educational  value.  The  conviction  was 
expressed  that  special  emphasis  should  be  laid  upon 
preparing  girls  and  young  women  for  the  duties  of  home 
life.  Recreation  was  spoken  of  as  the  element  in  the 
Congo  educational  program  which  was  the  most  neglected 
of  all,  and  the  Conference  was  urged  to  "  counteract  the 
dreadful  effect  of  the  sensuous  and  the  sensual  in  the 
life  of  the  natives  by  teaching  them  games  of  physical 
skill  and  prowess,  games  of  mental  diversion,  and  plea- 
sures of  song  and  movement  that  are  uplifting."  Stress 
was  laid  also  upon  the  three  R's,  language  work,  charac- 
ter development,  and  religion. 

The  recommendations  received  by  the  General  Con- 
ference from  the  Congo  Conference  held  in  New  York 
the  previous  January  were  quite  in  accordance  with  the 


Molding  Men  143 


views  expressed  above.     The  finding  upon  the  subject 
was  as  follows : 

We  rfecognize  that  if  we  are  to  build  a  full-orbed  and  per- 
manent Christianity  in  the  Congo,  its  foundation  must  be  laid  in 
Christian  character.  We  also  recognize  that  such  character  is 
impossible  without  industry.  We  believe  that  appropriate  indus- 
trial training  should  be  introduced  by  the  missionaries  themselves, 
and  that  it  has  its  bearing  not  only  on  the  making  of  Christian 
character,  but  also  upon  the  production  of  food,  better  home 
conditions,  and  a  better  social  life  for  the  native  people  and 
especially  those  who  become  Christians 

A  very  considerable  beginning  has  already  been  made 
toward  the  reorganization  of  the  Congo  educational  sys- 
tem upon  the  lines  indicated.  Indeed,  in  many  directions 
the  recommendations  have  been  anticipated  by  actual 
and  substantial  achievement. 

The  need  for  the  introduction  of  industrial  methods 
is  emphasized  by  the  statement  of  Rev.  Somerville  Gil- 
christ of  the  Congo  Balolo  Mission,  who  says  that  in  the 
section  where  he  is  at  work  the  people  find  it  necessary 
to  spend  most  of  their  time  for  a  large  part  of  the  year 
in  the  forest  collecting  gum  copal  to  buy  their  clothes  and 
pay  their  taxes.  They  are  during  this  period  exposed  to 
unusual  privations  as  well  as  to  the  bite  of  the  tsetse  fly. 
They  have  insufficient  food  and  suffer  both  in  health  and 
morals  from  the  system.  Any  training  giving  them  other 
means  of  living  would  be  a  blessing. 

Rev.  P.  C.  Metzger  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  teach- 
ing of  industries  will  have  a  salutary  efifect  in  giving 
the  native  a  means  of  livelihood  in  his  own  village,  so  that 
he  may  be  able  to  withstand  the  current  which  sets  toward 
the  great  commercial  or  agricultural  establishment  with 
its  constant  menace  of  industrial  slavery. 

The  Congo  Balolo  Mission  has  had  an  industrial  mis- 


144  Rock-Breakers 


sionary  upon  the  field  for  many  years,  and  has  introduced 
the  wicker-furniture  industry,  which  has  grown  to  con- 
siderable proportions.  Mr.  Coxill  states  that  in  their 
industrial  department  they  have  a  native  worker  whose 
first  responsibility  is  the  spiritual  well-being  of  the  boys. 
He  also  acts  as  foreman.  There  were  fourteen  church- 
members  at  the  beginning  of  the  year;  twenty-five  have 
come  out  for  Christ  during  the  year.  Two  of  the  boys 
from  the  chair-making  industry  have  voluntarily  gone  to 
adjacent  villages  to  become  teachers  at  a  considerably 
lower  remuneration  than  they  received  from  their  indus- 
trial work. 

The  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  has 
been  carrying  on  organized  industrial  work  at  Ntondo 
for  several  years.  It  is  in  charge  of  Mr.  W.  E.  Rodgers, 
a  trained  industrialist.  Mr.  Rodgers'  shop  is  a  model  of 
what  a  modest  establishment  for  industrial  training  ought 
to  be.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  well  lighted,  and  airy. 
It  has  a  ten  horse-power,  wood-burning  engine  running 
a  power  shaft  on  which  are  geared  a  rip-saw,  a  finishing- 
saw,  a  planer,  a  lathe,  a  scroll-saw,  a  grain-mill,  and 
a  grindstone.  There  is  also  an  electric-light  generator, 
which  is  to  furnish  light  for  the  entire  station.  The  shop 
contains  eight  benches  for  class  work  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  useful  machinery  and  tools.  The  teachers 
and  evangelists  spend  nine  months  on  the  field  and  come 
to  the  station  for  three  months.  The  course  of  study 
covers  three  years.  There  is  also  a  building  with  forges 
and  machinery  for  iron  work.  Ntondo  is  among  the  most 
beautiful  and  well  laid-out  stations  in  Congo.  Its  build- 
ings are  of  brick  and  bear  striking  testimony  to  the  pos- 
sibilities of  native  work  under  wise  direction.  One  of  the 
encouraging  features  of  the  situation  is  that  the  adjacent 
native  village  shows  many  signs  of  the  effect  of  the 


Molding  Men  145 


work  in  improved  and  better-furnished  dwellings.  Rev. 
A.  V.  Marsh  says  that  in  the  villages  one  will  now  fre- 
quently find  houses  with  dining-room,  bedroom,  visitor's 
room,  and  occasionally  a  study. 

Mr.  Rodgers'  philosophy  of  industrial  training  is 
worthy  of  note : 

The  object  of  our  industrial  work  is  to  teach  the  people  to  make 
homes,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.  The  home  is  the  basis  of 
civilization.  You  cannot  introduce  sanitation  while  the  black  man 
lives  in  a  little  hovel  no  more  ambitious  than  would  suffice  for 
a  muskrat.  It  is  impossible  truly  to  educate  the  native  in  such 
surroundings.  Evangelism  cannot  do  its  best  work  while  he 
lives  thus.  The  whole  'privacy  of  his  home  is  exposed  to  the 
gaze  of  the  village.  The  real  home  must  provide  privacy.  It 
is  the  task  of  the  industrial  department  to  teach  the  native  to 
make  such  a  home.  He  can  only  learn  to  do  so  on  the  mission 
station,  in  the  schools,  and  the  shops.  For  fifteen  years  Jesus 
was  a  carpenter.  He  worked  with  his  hands  and  perhaps  taught 
others  to  work  with  their  hands.  The  native  is  not  naturally  in- 
dustrious. He  is  very  glad  to  hear  about  a  gospel  which  will 
save  him.  He  likes  to  come  and  be  baptized,  but  he  does  not 
like  to  work  with  his  hands.  We  must  teach  him.  Fourteen  years 
ago  a  native  asked  me  to  show  him  how  to  build  a  frame  house. 
I  did  so,  instructing  him  how  to  make  joists  and  walls  plumb. 
He  built  a  permanent  board  house.  It  is  his  home,  and  he  has 
lived  in  it  ever  since.  The  neighbors  on  the  street  have  gradually 
been  affected,  and  the  old  dismal  huts  have  now  entirely  dis- 
appeared. 

The  most  ambitious  industrial  work  at  present  carried 
on  in  Congo  is  the  Carson  Industrial  School  of  the  Amer- 
ican Presbyterian  Congo  Mission  at  Luebo  on  the  Kasai 
River.  The  work  was  established  through  the  generosity 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Carson  of  Whiteville,  N.  C. 
It  is  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  C.  R.  Stegall.  The  latter, 
in  a  paper  read  at  the  Bolenge  General  Conference,  ad- 
duced as  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  importance  of  indus- 


146  Rock-Breakers 


trial  training  the  fact  that  the  new  mining  operations 
which  are  being  commenced  in  various  parts  of  the 
Congo,  especially  the  Katangas  and  Kasai,  are  creating 
a  need  which  will  be  filled  in  one  way  or  another.  Either 
the  missionary  must  give  the  training  under  favorable 
Christian  auspices,  or  the  native  will  get  it  from  the  un- 
godly miner  or  commercial  industrialist  with  all  the  evil 
attendant  upon  such  a  method. 

Practically  all  the  teaching  at  Luebo  is  done  by  gradu- 
ates of  the  school.  Carpentry  is  the  most  important  trade 
taught.  Thirty-two  lessons  for  beginners  have  been  pre- 
pared with  appropriate  blue-prints.  These  introduce  the 
student  to  the  principles  of  carpentry.  The  work  done  is 
not  expected  to  have  monetary  value  but  teaches  sym- 
metry and  precision.  The  metric  system  is  used.  By 
the  middle  of  the  second  year  the  boys  are  making  furni- 
ture of  which  they  may  be  proud. 

Masonry  is  next  in  importance.  The  boys  are  taught 
to  work  from  blue-prints.  They  learn  to  lay  off  the 
house  and  run  it  up.  They  have  already  built  a  modern 
missionary  residence.  The  material  used  was  brick.  It  is 
ceiled  throughout,  has  glass  windows,  and  is  screened. 
There  is  a  bathroom  with  modern  plumbing,  an  under- 
ground cistern  holding  10,000  gallons,  and  a  sewerage 
system  connected  with  a  cesspool. 

Shoemaking  is  one  of  the  trades  taught  at  Luebo. 
There  is  a  large  amount  of  repair  work.  All  soles  are 
sewed  instead  of  being  nailed.  Leather  is  prepared  on 
the  premises,  and  the  institution  is  able  to  make  complete 
shoes.  They  use  practically  every  available  skin  from 
monkey  to  elephant.  Sheep,  goat,  and  antelope  are  the 
more  common,  and  tanned  leather  is  shipped  to  America. 

Experiments  have  been  made  in  broom-making.  This, 
however,  will  never  become  a  large  industry.    It  is  very 


Molding  Men  147 


simple,  and  the  cost  of  the  equipment  is  very  Uttle.  Amer- 
ican broom-corn  seed  was  secured  and  did  very  well. 
The  broom  handles  are  made  of  light  bamboo,  and  the 
finished  product  is  equal  to  the  American  broom.  It  may 
be  used  as  an  industry  for  the  bUnd. 

Tile-making  naturally  followed  brick-making,  which 
has  been  carried  on  for  years.  There  is  a  ready  sale  for 
tile,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  this  industry  should  not 
be  broadly  introduced.  The  native  church  at  Luebo 
bought  a  tile-machine  for  itself  to  be  used  in  making  tile 
for  the  church  and  the  pastor's  house. 

Both  the  Education  Commission  and  the  New  York 
Congo  Conference  felt  that  in  the  conduct  of  industrial 
education  large  stress  should  be  laid  upon  agriculture. 
The  latter  made  the  following  statement  in  its  findings: 

It  is  felt  that  further  development  of  industrial  operations 
should  begin  at  an  early  date,  and  that  agriculture  should  be 
recognized  as  the  basis  for  industrial  training. 

Much  has  already  been  done  in  this  line,  since  from  the 
beginning  of  mission  work  in  the  Congo  it  was  necessary 
for  the  missionary  to  superintend  the  making  of  gardens 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  the  food  needed  upon  the  mis- 
sion station.  Hitherto  this  work  has  been  in  the  hands 
of  missionaries  whose  special  training  has  been  in  other 
directions,  but  it  is  now  felt  that  men  should  be  sent  to 
the  field  whose  special  training  will  fit  them  to  introduce 
modern  scientific  methods  of  agriculture.  The  American 
Presbyterian  Congo  Mission,  which  already  has  an  in- 
fant agricultural  school  two  miles  from  Luebo,  is  seeking 
such  men.  The  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  So- 
ciety, which  is  projecting  similar  work  at  two  points,  has 
a  graduate  of  an  American  agricultural  school  under  ap- 
pointment.    How  greatly  needed  such  work  is  may  be 


148  Rock-Breakers 


emphasized  by  the  fact  that  a  lack  of  intelligent  planting 
produced  during  the  past  year  in  the  Kasai  district  a 
famine  of  cassava,  which  is  the  principal  food  substance 
in  the  African  diet. 

It  is  clear  that  the  Congo  missionary  body  as  a  whole 
has  thoroughly  taken  to  heart  the  counsel  of  the  Africa 
Education  Commission  that  education  be  adapted  to  the 
needs  and  conditions  of  the  country.  A  further  recom- 
mendation of  the  Commission  which  has  met  with  a 
hearty  response,  was  that  the  various  societies  cooperate 
in  the  matter  of  higher  education.  Acting  upon  this  sug- 
gestion the  General  Conference  passed  the  following  reso- 
lution : 

That  we  establish  at  an  early  date  union  higher  schools,  sug- 
gesting the  following  as  possible  locations,  one  in  the  equatorial 
section,  one  in  the  Higher  Congo,  one  in  the  Kasai;  and  the 
strengthening  of  the  already  established  school  at  Kimpese  for 
the  lower  Congo. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  give  some  descrip- 
tion of  the  Kongo  Evangelical  Training  Institute,  inas- 
much as  it  is  now  proposed  to  develop  it  still  further  as  a 
union  school  for  lower  Congo. 

This  school  is  the  first  important  effort  in  the  direction 
of  union  educational  work  which  has  been  made  in  Congo. 
It  is  conducted  jointly  by  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society 
of  England,  the  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  So- 
ciety, and  the  Woman's  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Society.  Its  staff  consists  of  five  members :  Rev. 
Seymour  E.  Moon,  principal,  Mrs.  S.  E.  Moon,  Rev. 
W.  D.  Reynolds,  Mrs.  W.  D.  Reynolds,  and  Dr.  Catherine 
Mabie.  Its  aim,  as  indicated  by  its  name,  has  been 
hitherto  the  training  of  Christian  workers  for  the  serv^ice 
of  the  missions  associated  in  the  enterprise.     It  is  ad- 


Molding  Men  149 


mirably  located  on  the  railroad  between  Matadi  and  Thys- 
ville,  and  is  easily  accessible  from  all  parts  of  lower 
Congo.  Its  equipment  consists  of  chapel,  classrooms, 
carpentry  and  smith  shops,  besides  the  residences  of  the 
missionaries.  The  school  possesses  about  thirty  hectares 
of  land  upon  a  grant  from  the  Government  with  the  pos- 
sibility of  securing  some  two  hundred  hectares  in  addi- 
tion. The  students,  most  of  whom  are  married,  are  each 
provided  with  a  residence  capable  of  being  made  into  a 
very  comfortable  home.  These  residences  consist  of  small 
double  brick  houses,  each  containing  two  rooms.  A 
separate  cook-house  accompanies  each,  and  there  are 
also  individual  sanitary  arrangements  and  gardens. 
There  are  seventeen  of  these  double  houses  providing 
accommodation  for  thirty-four  families. 

The  Institute  gives  a  three-year  course  as  follows : 

First  Year: 

Gospel  of  Mark. 

Introduction  to  Acts  and  General  Epistles. 

Old  Testament  History. 

Genesis  or  Exodus. 

Arithmetic. 

Elementary  Geography  and  History. 

Writing  and  Composition. 

French. 

Practise  Teaching. 

Physiology. 

Second  Year: 

Harmony  of  Life  of  Christ. 

Historical    Books  of  Old    Testament    and    Major 

Prophets. 
Sermon-making. 

L 


150  Rock-Breakers 


Sunday   School  Teaching. 

Practical  work. 

Arithmetic. 

Geography  and  History. 

Writing  and  Composition. 

French. 

Physiology. 

Third  Year : 

Life  and  Letters  of  Paul. 
Psalms  and  Minor  Prophets. 
Review  of  Bible  Teaching. 
Arithmetic. 
Commercial  Geography. 

Arithmetic,  which  is  taught  in  all  years,  carries  the 
pupil  as  far  as  decimals,  with  simple  bookkeeping.  Geog- 
raphy starts  with  the  Congo,  then  takes  in  the  whole 
of  Africa  and  its  relation  to  the  entire  world. 

One  of  the  interesting  features  of  Kimpese  is  that 
it  gives  training  to  the  whole  family.  The  men  students 
are  in  the  regular  classes  conducted  by  the  faculty.  The 
women  are  organized  into  more  elementary  classes  taught 
by  Mrs.  Moon  and  Doctor  Mabie.  The  small  children 
are  in  a  primary  school  which  is  under  the  direction  of 
Doctor  Mabie.  Here  normal  work  is  conducted,  the 
teachers  and  preachers  giving  the  instruction,  and  in  the 
process  learning  the  practical  method  of  conducting  a 
school.  There  is  also  an  intermediate  school,  for  house 
boys  and  those  who  are  farther  advanced  than  the  pri- 
mary, conducted  in  the  same  manner. 

In  addition  to  this,  part  of  the  midday  rest  period  is 
devoted  to  a  school  for  the  workmen  upon  the  place. 
They  present  such  varying  stages  of  ignorance  that  the 


PRIMARY  PRACTISE  SCHOOL 
Kimpese 


PRIMARY   PRACTISE   SCHOOL 
Kimpese 


Molding  Men  151 


instruction  has  to  be  individual.  The  students  gladly  use 
part  of  their  leisure  period  to  teach  them  reading  and 
writing.  In  this  way  practically  every  one  upon  the 
station  is  under  instruction. 

Doctor  Alabie  carries  on  a  large  dispensary  practise 
in  addition  to  the  school  work,  and  also  gives  special 
instruction  in  physiology,  hygiene,  and  sanitation. 

About  a  year  ago  a  new  plan  of  student  support  was 
adopted  at  Kimpese.  It  was  decided  that  all  families 
should  raise  their  own  food  on  garden  plots  allotted  to 
them,  and  earn  their  own  clothing,  books,  and  incidental 
expenses  through  work  in  carpentry,  brick-making  and 
laying,  and  other  industrial  work  provided  by  the  in- 
stitution. The  daily  program  has  been  so  adjusted  as  to 
enable  the  students  to  find  sufficient  time  for  this  large 
measure  of  self-support,  and  the  plan  is  already  proving 
its  wisdom  by  the  success  with  which  it  is  working. 

The  recommendation  of  the  General  Conference  would 
involve  the  receiving  at  Kimpese  of  a  much  greater 
number  of  students,  many  of  whom  would  be  far  younger 
than  the  average  of  the  present  student  body.  The  cur- 
riculum would  be  extended  so  as  gradually  to  approach 
a  secondary  school  course  with  special  development  of 
industrial  lines.  All  this  should  be  done,  however,  with- 
out disturbing  the  present  arrangements  for  the  training 
of  Christian  workers. 

The  present  organization  of  the  Institution  is  very  well 
adapted  to  this  end  and  would,  at  least  at  first,  need 
but  slight  modification.  Shops,  yards,  kilns,  and  agri- 
cultural facilities  are  all  at  hand  to  make  a  beginning 
in  specific  industrial  training,  and  money  is  already 
provided  for  a  new  building  which,  when  it  is  erected, 
will  give  larger  teaching  accommodations.  The  faculty 
is  keenly  interested  in  the  possibilities  which  may  grow 


152  Rock-Breakers 


from  the  proposal,  and  it  is  believed  that  in  this  sug- 
gestion the  first  substantial  step  has  been  taken  in  the 
direction  of  such  thorough-going  educational  prepara- 
tion as  will  ensure  a  supply  of  adequately  trained  leaders 
in  every  branch  of  service  in  the  days  to  come. 


VII 
RIVAL  PRACTITIONERS 


" '  Listen/  she  said.  '  At  the  time  for  planting  peanuts  my 
brother  was  shot.  Shot  in  the  leg.  All  the  flesh  was  eaten.  The 
bone  was  in  many  pieces.  We  kept  him  many  days  in  the  town, 
but  the  leg  would  not  heal.  The  devil  was  in  him.  Then  one 
day  we  took  him  to  this  woman  doctor.  She  said  his  leg  must 
be  cut  off.  He  said  he  would  die  with  two  legs  and  not  with  one 
only.  So  the  white  woman  washed  the  leg  with  many  washings 
and  cut  it  with  many  cuttings  and  sewed  and  tied  it  with  many 
tyings.  I  speak  truth.  I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes.  Listen.  The 
dry  season  has  come.  The  peanuts  are  diy.  These  many  months 
my  brother  has  lain  in  the  house  for  sick  ones.  The  white 
woman  doctor  has  tended  his  leg  with  her  own  hands,  and  now 
he  walks.  With  a  stick?  Yes,  with  a  stick,  but  on  his  two  legs.' " 
— Dr.  Catherine  L.  Mahie,  in  "  The  Cross  in  Congoland." 


RIVAL  PRACTITIONERS 


Almost  every  missionary  in  the  Congo  knew  some- 
thing of  medicine  in  the  early  days  and  was  likely  at 
one  time  or  another  to  have  the  care  of  the  sick  thrust 
upon  him.  It  was  perfectly  natural  that  this  should 
be  the  case.  The  ignorance  of  the  African  native  re- 
garding the  simplest  facts  of  physiology  and  hygiene, 
together  with  the  appalling  system  of  malpractise 
grown  up  through  the  centuries  through  superstition 
and  the  greed  of  the  witch-doctor,  caused  the  most 
elementary  knowledge  of  medicine  or  surgery  pos- 
sessed by  the  white  missionary  to  seem  to  the  native 
like  brilliant  white  magic,  and  there  were  attributed  to 
him  whether  justly  or  otherwise  powers  of  healing  of 
a  very  substantial  character. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  average  intelligent  white 
man  has  a  very  considerable  body  of  medical  knowl- 
edge at  his  command  were  he  but  to  realize  it.  The 
days  when  the  secrets  of  the  medical  profession  were 
guarded  under  cabalistic  signs  and  dead  languages,  is 
past,  and  today  the  profession  is  glad  to  share  with 
the  laity  its  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  life  and  all  that 
may  be  easily  comprehended  of  the  treatment  of  dis- 
ease. The  result  is  that  many  great  principles  of  the 
maintenance  of  health  and  the  combat  of  disease  have 
now  become  the  commonplaces  of  ordinary  knowledge. 
Cleanliness  of  body  inside  and  out,  the  avoidance  of 
infection,  hygienic  measures  as  regards  eating,  sleep- 
ing, bathing,  and  exercise,  the  use  of  simple  remedies 

155 


156  Rock-Breakers 


for  the  more  common  diseases — who  fails  to  be  armed 
today  with  such  ordinary  information?  And  yet  one 
possessed  of  such  knowledge  is  so  far  ahead  of  the 
common  practise  among  savage  tribes  in  Africa  as  to 
be  rightly  counted  a  healer  of  marvelously  superior 
wisdom. 

So  much  has  been  written  of  the  practises  of  the 
witch-doctor  that  hardly  anything  need  be  added.  His 
daily  work  may  be  summed  up  as  the  practise  of  the 
concreted  principles  of  foully  cruel  superstition,  crimi- 
nal witchcraft,  and  a  debased  and  loathsome  animism. 

And  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  by  far  the 
greater  portion  of  the  Congo  the  witch-doctor  is  still 
regnant.  We  pile  up  our  medical  statistics,  but  im- 
portant and  gratifying  as  they  are  the  witch-doctor 
could  outclass  us  many  times  over  had  he  the  power 
of  giving  a  numerical  rendering  of  the  pain  and  agony 
both  mental  and  physical  with  which  he  is  daily  afflict- 
ing the  poor  superstitious  Congolese.  Do  not  believe 
for  one  moment  that  the  witch-doctor  is  a  thing  of 
the  past.  In  the  very  latest  number  of  "  The  Congo 
Mission  News  "  Rev.  E.  K.  Alexander,  of  the  Congo 
Balolo  Mission,  writes  thus: 

An  elderly  woman  attended  the  sendees  at  Bombasi  in  spite 
of  the  threat  from  her  husband  of  bodily  injury.  One  evening 
he  met  her  returning  from  the  service,  caught  her  hand  by  the 
fingers,  and  wrenched  the  fingers  until  the  web  broke  right  down 
to  the  knuckles.  Then,  together  with  his  relatives,  he  took  her 
to  the  witch-doctor  and  forced  her  to  drink  the  native  poison. 
Fortunately  she  vomited  and  recovered. 

Rev.  R.  D.  Bedinger  says  in  "  Triumphs  of  the  Gos- 
pel," "  In  one  village  seventeen  men  were  given  the 
poison  cup  to  discover  who  had  bewitched  a  man  with 
sleeping  sickness." 


Rival  Practitioners  157 

The  witch-doctor's  horrible  medicine  is  compounded 
of  finger-nails  and  hair  and  foul  insects  and  noxious 
herbs.  Anything  filthy  and  horrible  may  be  used  in 
the  nauseous  mess,  and  he  knows  how  to  charge  too. 
One  native  gave  one  hundred  pieces  of  cloth  and  one 
hundred  francs  for  a  piece  of  medicine  about  as  big  as, 
your  fist.  The  old  railroad  principle,  "  all  the  traffic  will 
bear,"  seems  to  be  their  fundamental  basis  for  charges. 

It  was  by  the  roadside  in  the  lower  Congo  that  I 
found  a  collection  of  old  fetishes  that  had  been  thrown 
out  by  command  of  the  prophet  Kibangu.  Among 
them  was  a  little  gourd  with  eyes  fashioned  in  one 
end  to  give  it  the  semblance  of  an  animal.  This  was 
to  hang  around  the  neck  for  the  preservation  of  the 
health,  and  cost  a  good  round  sum.  There  were  also 
two  large  shells  half-full  of  a  limelike  powder.  The 
carriers  with  me  knew  them  well  and  recognized  them 
at  once.  It  seems  that  the  witch-doctor  recognized 
fully  that  the  hour  of  woman's  sorrow  is  an  hour  which 
may  be  capitalized  for  his  personal  gain,  and  these 
latter  are  specially  good  medicine  in  case  of  childbirth. 
The  pain  and  travail  are  not  alone  sufficient  agony  for 
the  woman  to  bear,  and  so  the  witch-doctor  has  cast 
his  evil  spells  over  the  whole  experience  and  has  grad- 
ually wrought  a  tradition  which  shall  "  greatly  multi- 
ply her  sorrows."  The  baby  must  not  be  born  indoors, 
and  so  the  birth  becomes  a  public  ceremony.  It  is 
important  that  threatened  rain  hold  ofif,  and  so  nature 
lends  itself  to  the  financial  program  of  the  practitioner. 
He  provides  this  particular  type  of  medicine  which  is 
rubbed  on  the  abdomen  of  the  patient,  and  by  this 
means  the  storm  is  induced  to  go  around  some  other 
way. 

There  are  enough  physical  ailments  in  Congoland 


158  Rock-Breakers 


without  the  witch-doctor  troubling  to  manufacture 
new  ones.  There  are  two  or  three  which  are  specially 
prevalent  and  deadly.  The  first  is  of  course  the  sleep- 
ing sickness  due  to  the  microscopical  parasite  known 
as  the  trypanosome  and  conveyed  by  the  tsetse  fly. 
Then  there  are  the  various  forms  of  malaria,  particu- 
larly hematuric  fever.  The  mosquito  is  responsible 
for  dissemination  of  the  scourge  which  produces  this 
disease.  Dysentery  is  perhaps  next  in  order  of  impor- 
tance, and  rapidly  following  it  come  intestinal  para- 
sites, venereal  disease,  filaria,  beriberi,  leprosy, 
elephantiasis,  and  a  score  of  other  common  ailments. 
Deep  tropical  ulcers  are  especially  frequent.  They  are 
usually  due  to  yaws,  and  may  be  easily  disposed  of  if 
the  patient  can  afford  intravenous  injections  of  one  of 
the  newer  arsenic  compounds. 

Sickness  has  become  so  rife  that  the  Government  is 
profoundly  disturbed  at  the  threatened  danger  of  de- 
population. Doctor  Broden,  Director  of  the  Brussels 
Tropical  School  of  Medicine,  says : 

Native  labor  is  a  real  wealth;  the  Colony  cannot  dispense  with 
it.  But  it  is  an  error  to  believe  that  it  is  inexhaustible ;  that 
delicate  human  material  must  be  handled  with  the  utmost  care, 
and  ever'/thing  possible  done  to  better  and  increase  the  human 
stock. 

In  the  midst  of  such  conditions  the  services  even 
of  non-medical  missionaries  have  been  of  inestimable 
benefit  in  treating  disease,  advising  as  to  sanitary 
conditions  in  the  villages,  and  cooperating  with  the 
Government  in  its  effort  to  stay  the  progress  of  the 
prevailing  sicknesses  of  the  Colony.  Many  mission- 
aries whose  special  work  has  been  in  other  lines,  have 
felt  it  worth  while  to  secure  such  training  as  may  be 
had  without  the  expenditure  of  too  great  a  period  of 


Rival  Practitioners  159 

time.  Not  a  few  Congo  missionaries  have  taken  with 
great  profit  the  course  offered  by  the  Livingstone 
Medical  School  of  London,  which  is  specially  organ- 
ized for  the  purpose  of  giving  some  knowledge  of  medi- 
cine to  non-medical  missionaries  contemplating  work 
in  Africa.  Any  one  who  is  likely  to  find  himself 
placed  in  distant  and  isolated  situations  where  the  aid 
of  a  medical  man  will  probably  be  unavailable,  should 
by  all  means  consider  the  advisability  of  spending 
some  time  at  Livingstone  College. 

Colonial  Minister  Franck,  of  the  Belgian  Govern- 
ment, is  now  urging  that  all  missionaries,  whether 
medical  or  otherwise,  take  the  course  in  the  School  of 
Tropical  Medicine  at  Brussels,  and  even  offers  to  ar- 
range a  course  in  French  to  assist  such  as  are  un- 
familiar with  this  language  to  pursue  their  medical 
studies  with  benefit.  It  may  be  said  in  this  connection 
that  all  the  missionary  societies  now  at  work  in 
Belgian  Congo  recognize  the  extreme  importance  of  a 
knowledge  of  French  upon  the  part  of  the  missionary 
to  the  Congo  and  are  taking  measures  to  make  possible 
a  residence  in  Belgium  or  France  for  this  purpose. 

There  is  also  a  special  course  arranged  by  the  Bel- 
gian Government  at  the  Government  hospital  and 
laboratory  in  Leopoldville  where  any  missionary  may 
receive  instruction  in  the  diagnosis  and  treatment  of 
sleeping  sickness. 

Not  a  few  non-medical  missionaries  have  conducted 
dispensaries  regularly  for  years  and  have  given  treat- 
ments numbering  in  the  thousands  each  year.  Such  a 
dispensary  was  conducted  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  P.  Fred- 
erickson  at  Sona  Bata  and  gave  last  year  12,877  treat- 
ments. Mrs.  Frederickson  had  had  the  benefit  of  the 
course  in  Leopoldville.     Mr.  Frederickson  has  the  dis- 


160  Rock-Breakers 


tinction  of  being  the  oldest  Protestant  missionary  in 
the  Congo.  He  is  seventy-four  years  of  age  and  has 
been  in  active  service  for  over  forty  years.  Upon  his 
return  to  America  last  year  for  furlough  the  Belgian 
Government  awarded  him  the  decoration  of  Chevalier 
de  I'Ordre  du  Lion  in  recognition  of  his  long  and  dis- 
tinguished service. 

The  list  of  medical  missionaries  to  the  Congo  is 
headed  by  Aaron  Sims,  M.  D.,  D.  P.  H.,  who  began 
his  service  in  1882.  In  a  paper  read  at  the  General 
Conference  held  at  Luebo  in  1918  Dr.  F.  P.  Lynch 
refers  to  him  as  follows : 

Doctor  Sims,  the  Nestor  of  our  service,  was  the  first  medical 
missionary  to  the  Congo,  and  after  the  signal  record  of  thirty-six 
3'ears  still  maintains  his  distinguished  association  in  service. 

Secretary  C.  E.  Wilson,  of  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  speaks  of  his  work  in  the  following  apprecia- 
tive terms : 

Doctor  Sims,  who  is  an  Englishman  and  a  bachelor,  has  been 
over  thirty-five  years  in  Congo  in  connection  with  the  American 
mission.  His  early  missionary  life  was  spent  in  Leopoldville, 
and  it  was  he  who  accompanied  Grenfell  in  his  first  "  Peace " 
voyages.  He  lives  and  works  alone,  having  entire  responsibility 
not  only  for  the  native  services  in  Matadi,  the  supervision  of  his 
dispensary,  mission  work  in  the  district,  the  receipt,  clearance 
customs,  and  transport  of  all  the  American  Baptist  Foreign 
Mission  Society's  goods,  but  also  the  field  treasurership,  as  well 
as  the  entertainment  of  arriving  and  departing  missionaries  of 
his  Society.  He  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most 
skilled  physicians  for  tropical  fevers.  He  is  a  very  gifted  linguist, 
and  all  acknowledge  his  ability. 

Following  in  the  footsteps  of  Doctor  Sims  is  a  long 
line  of  able  and  consecrated  physicians,  both  men  and 
women,   whose   contributions   to   the   well-being  and 


Rival  Practitioners  161 

Christian  civilization  of  the  Congo  are  beyond  all 
counting.  They  have  braved  the  dangers  of  wilder- 
ness, climate,  and  hostile  tribes,  and  have  been  fore- 
most in  opening  new  fields.  They  have  comforted, 
strengthened,  and  healed  their  brother  and  sister  mis- 
sionaries, who  without  them  would  have  found  it  im- 
possible to  carry  on  their  work.  They  have  combatted 
stedfastly  the  deadly  endemic  and  epidemic  scourges 
of  the  tropics,  and  in  the  course  of  their  warfare  have 
contributed  much  to  our  scientific  knowledge  of  the 
nature  and  treatment  of  tropical  disease.  They  have 
constantly  held  before  the  public  the  need  for  a  con- 
servation of  native  life,  and  have  done  much  to  bring 
about  the  more  recent  government  measures  favoring 
the  health  of  the  native.  They  have  been  the  chief 
element  in  undermining  the  native's  faith  in  the  witch- 
doctor and  superstition  of  ancient  days.  Lastly,  but 
not  least,  they  have  brought  healing  and  health  to 
countless  thousands  of  the  diseased  and  distressed, 
illustrating  by  word  and  deed  the  teaching  of  the  Great 
Physician  in  whose  footsteps  they  tread. 

The  work  of  the  medical  missionary  to  the  Congo 
may  be  divided  into  six  main  branches :  the  care  of  the 
health  of  the  missionary  body,  the  work  in  the  dis- 
pensary, itineration  or  medical  work  in  the  villages  of 
the  district,  public  sanitation,  hospital  work,  and  the 
training  of  native  assistants. 

The  care  of  the  health  of  fellow  missionaries  is 
without  doubt  one  of  the  most  important  tasks  of  the 
medical  missionary.  Many  lives  have  been  saved  to 
the  Congo  by  the  assiduous  care  rendered  by  the  phy- 
sician to  his  brother  missionaries.  There  is  no  work 
more  trying  to  the  soul  nor  richer  in  its  rewards  than 
standing  by  the  bedside  of  one's  fellows  in  the  effort 


162  Rock-Breakers 


to  stay  the  ravages  of  disease.  It  is  the  ideal  of  most 
missionary  societies  at  the  present  day  to  place  medi- 
cal aid  within  reach  of  every  missionary.  The  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  has  recently  in- 
augurated the  system  of  requiring  each  missionary  to 
take  a  thorough  physical  examination  at  least  once  a 
year.  These  are  given  for  the  most  part  by  the  medi- 
cal missionaries.  By  the  early  recognition  of  disease 
it  is  expected  that  life  may  be  prolonged  and  the  ser- 
vice of  the  missionary  rendered  more  efficient. 

The  dispensary  work  occupies  the  major  portion  of 
the  medical  missionary's  time.  It  is  at  times  a  pains- 
taking and  humdrum  task.  It  must  be  carried  on 
day  in  and  day  out  the  year  round.  The  common  ill- 
nesses of  life  wait  for  no  man,  and  the  dispensary 
door  is  besieged  by  a  multitude  such  as  looked  with 
longing  eyes  to  the  Master  at  Capernaum.  The  dis- 
pensary gates  are  like  the  porches  at  Bethesda,  and  as 
the  physician  serves  hour  after  hour  in  the  consulting- 
and  dressing-rooms,  verily  virtue  goes  out  of  him. 

There  is  always  a  multitude  of  commonplace  ail- 
ments represented  in  the  group  at  the  dispensary  door : 
malaria,  worms,  indigestion,  conjunctivitis,  dysentery, 
infections,  wounds,  ulcers,  etc.  These  are  easily  dis- 
posed of.  Indeed,  it  is  possible  to  train  a  native  assis- 
tant to  handle  most  of  them,  and  all  dispensaries  have 
workers  who  are  fully  capable  of  doing  the  routine 
dressing  required  by  a  great  many  cases. 

Another  class  of  cases  now  coming  into  great  promi- 
nence in  Congo  dispensary  practise  consists  of  sleep- 
ing sickness,  yaws,  and  syphilis,  where  the  treatment 
calls  for  intravenous  injection  of  one  of  the  more  recent 
arsenic  preparations  or  tartar  emetic.  These  must  be 
given  with  great  care.     Surgical  asepsis  is  necessary, 


Rival  Practitioners  163 

and  while  much  aid  in  preparation  may  be  rendered  by 
the  assistant,  for  the  most  part  these  cases  are  attended 
to  by  the  physician  himself.  Regular  days  are  usually 
set  aside  for  them.  A  considerable  number  are  cared 
for  at  the  same  time,  and  by  careful  organization  of  the 
work  of  preparation  a  good  many  may  be  disposed  of 
in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

Besides  these  cases,  there  will  be  those  requiring 
much  more  extended  examination,  with  use  perhaps  of 
laboratory  and  microscope.  These  are  the  time-con- 
suming cases,  and  many  of  them  will  require  repeated 
examinations,  so  that  it  is  desirable  to  keep  them  under 
observation  for  a  time. 

From  the  morning's  clinic  there  will  usually  be 
some  requiring  hospital  treatment — severe  cases  of 
dysentery,  pneumonia,  appendicitis,  operative  cases  of 
all  descriptions — and  it  is  in  such  cases  that  the  trained 
nurse  proves  well-nigh  indispensable.  Only  compara- 
tively recently  has  it  become  usual  to  send  trained 
nurses  to  the  Congo.  There  is  no  question,  however, 
but  that  their  sphere  of  usefulness  is  just  as  broad  as 
that  of  the  physician.  It  should  be  a  settled  principle 
that  no  doctor  be  placed  upon  the  foreign  field  without 
the  aid  of  a  trained  nurse.  In  many  cases  the  nurse 
has  not  only  proved  herself  competent  to  care  for  the 
ordinary  duties  falling  to  her  lot,  but  the  entire  burden 
of  the  dispensary  work  will  be  thrown  upon  her  owing 
to  the  absence  of  the  doctor.  Miss  A.  Hagstrom  has 
been  caring  most  efficiently  for  the  medical  work  at 
Ntondo  during  the  absence  of  Doctor  Ostrom  on  fur- 
lough this  past  year. 

Itineration,  or  medical  work  throughout  the  district, 
is  a  very  valuable  form  of  the  medical  missionary's 
service ;  at  the  same  time  it  gives  what  is  sometimes  a 


164  Rock-Breakers 


welcome  relief  from  the  grinding  routine  of  the  daily 
task  upon  the  station.  During  these  tours  the  medical 
man  sees  a  vast  number  of  interesting  cases.  It  is 
both  agreeable  and  profitable  to  make  them  in  com- 
pany with  the  missionary  whose  special  charge  is  the 
evangelistic  work  of  the  district.  This  method 
quickens  the  physician's  realization  of  the  intimate 
relationship  between  the  work  of  rendering  physical 
aid  and  giving  spiritual  instruction.  It  enables  him 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  evangelization. 
He  is  able  to  diagnose  and  place  in  the  way  of  treat- 
ment such  sleeping-sickness  cases  as  are  found.  He 
discovers  many  serious  cases  in  need  of  hospital  treat- 
ment and  arranges  to  have  them  brought  to  the  station 
for  this  purpose. 

The  work  of  public  sanitation  is  of  growing  impor- 
tance among  the  duties  assumed  by  the  medical  man. 
Government  recognition  of  the  need  for  colony-wide 
action  against  certain  of  the  maladies  which  afflict  the 
Congo  native  has  led  to  a  new  realization  of  the  value 
of  the  work  of  the  medical  missionary  in  this  respect. 
Several  of  the  Protestant  medical  men  have  been  asked 
by  the  Government  to  assume  responsibility  for  the 
areas  in  which  their  work  is  located  as  respects  medi- 
cal and  sanitary  measures.  Dr.  E.  C.  Girling,  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  at  Bolobo,  is  thus  acting, 
and  in  addition  to  his  own  extensive  dispensary  and 
hospital  practise  is  in  official  relationship  to  the  Bel- 
gian Government  as  its  medical  officer. 

The  physician  can  give  valuable  counsel  as  regards 
choice  of  site  for  a  station,  the  arrangement  of  build- 
ings upon  the  compound,  the  disposal  of  sewage,  and 
other  items  having  to  do  with  the  general  health  of 
the    station.     In   the   itinerating  tours  already   men- 


Kival  Practitioners  165 

tioned  he  is  able  to  counsel  with  chiefs  and  leaders 
in  respect  to  the  physical  condition  and  surroundings 
of  the  villages  visited. 

Hospital  work  has  somewhat  lagged  in  the  Congo 
field,  probably  owing  to  the  primitive  conditions  under 
which  the  work  is  necessarily  done.  Dr.  F.  P.  Lynch 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  earliest  hospital 
work  done : 

The  pioneer  period  has  been  gradually  superseded  by  a  distinct 
advance  in  some  sections  of  Congo.  The  first  substantial  hos- 
pital for  the  Congolese  was  located  at  Mukimvika  on  simple  yet 
ample  lines  of  construction,  with  a  large  central  room,  well- 
lighted  and  air}',  for  general  use  as  a  dispensary  and  for  opera- 
tions and  surgical  dressings.  Two  wards  are  in  direct  connec- 
tion, each  one  having  the  normal  capacity  of  twenty  beds,  which 
are  made  of  pitch  pine,  six  feet  by  three,  varnished  and  provided 
with  a  native  mat  and  blankets.  San  Salvador  followed  with 
larger  equipment,  more  buildings,  and  the  important  addition  of 
a  trained  nurse  to  the  staff.  Bolobo  has  expanded  on  larger 
lines  of  equipment  and  eflficiency. 

Considerable  advance  has  been  made  since  the  date 
of  Doctor  Lynch's  paper.  A  fine  hospital  was  erected 
by  the  American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission  at 
Luebo.  This  was  their  only  hospital  after  thirty  years 
in  the  field,  although  funds  were  in  hand  for  a  small 
hospital  at  Mutoto.  A  very  great  misfortune  has  over- 
taken the  mission  in  the  total  destruction  of  the  Luebo 
hospital  by  fire.  One  of  the  hospital  assistants,  while 
transferring  some  gasoline,  happened  to  spill  a  little 
on  the  cement  floor.  Being  curious  to  know  whether 
gasoline  on  cement  would  burn,  he  struck  a  match, 
with  the  result  that  the  entire  building  was  lost,  as 
well  as  all  the  drugs  and  the  electric-light  plant  and 
fixtures.  This  illustrates  another  of  the  handicaps 
under  which  the   Congo   missionary  works :  the  un- 

M 


166  Rock-Breakers 


familiarity  of  native  assistants  with  some  of  the  most 
elementary  facts  of  civilized  life. 

The  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission  has  a  good 
hospital  building  at  Bolenge,  but  it  is  to  be  replaced 
by  another  on  a  more  favorable  site.  The  American 
Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society  has  funds  in  hand  for 
the  erection  of  four  hospitals.  Material  for  these  is 
now  being  gathered,  and  work  has  already  been  begun. 

The  statistics  for  the  year  1920  show  a  total  of 
twenty-three  hospitals  for  the  Congo  field.  The  total 
number  of  in-patients  for  the  same  year  was  4,440, 
dispensary  treatments  408,362.  It  should  be  stated, 
however,  that  a  good  many  of  the  hospitals  here 
reported  are  of  a  very  provisional  and  inadequate 
nature. 

One  such  hospital  which  I  visited  consisted  of  a 
wooden  building  having  a  single  room  and  a  brick 
floor.  The  patients  sleep  on  wooden  beds,  which  are 
actually  low  tables  with  rims  around  them.  Bunches 
of  leaves  were  placed  around  them  to  soften  the  couch. 
No  bedding  or  blankets  were  provided,  each  patient 
furnishing  his  own  covers.  At  the  time  the  cases  in 
the  hospital  included  a  panhysterectomy,  a  case  of  ampu- 
tation of  the  scrotum  for  elephantiasis,  and  a  hernia. 
All  were  convalescent,  presented  good  scars  and  the 
wounds  had  healed  by  first  intention.  There  was  every 
indication  of  first-class  surgical  work  notwithstanding 
the  extremely  unfavorable  surroundings. 

These  conditions  are  temporary  and  are  being 
rapidly  remedied.  Not  only  are  the  individual  soci- 
eties making  plans  for  modern,  properly  equipped 
hospitals,  but  plans  are  on  foot  for  union  effort  in  this 
direction.  At  the  Bolenge  Conference  the  medical 
committee  gave  extended  consideration  to  this  subject 


Rival  Practitioners  167 

and  brought  in  a  resolution  which  was  adopted  as  the 
action  of  the  Conference : 

It  is  the  conviction  of  this  Conference  that  the  Home  Boards 
should  be  urged  to  establish  as  soon  as  possible  a  Union  Hospital 
at  Stanley  Pool,  with  a  view  to  furnishing  expert  medical  and 
surgical  service  both  for  missionaries  and  natives ;  that  a  medical 
school  and  a  nurses'  training-school  be  developed  in  connection 
with  it,  and  facilities  be  provided  for  short  courses  of  instruction 
for  non-medical  missionaries,  and  internships  for  newly  ap- 
pointed medical  missionaries. 

Plans  are  also  being  made  by  the  Government  to 
enlarge  considerably  its  present  hospital  provision  for 
natives.  A  five-hundred-bed  hospital  will  be  built  at 
Elizabethville,  and  probably  another  at  Kinshasa.  It  is 
also  proposed  to  place  upon  the  main  river  a  thoroughly 
equipped  hospital  boat  such  as  has  already  been  success- 
fully used  upon  the  Nile. 

The  training  of  the  native  in  the  care  of  the  sick  has 
received  a  good  deal  of  attention  from  the  medical 
missionaries. 

The  training  given  has  been  that  of  a  dispensary 
assistant  rather  than  a  nurse.  Doctor  King,  of  Banza 
Manteke,  has  trained  a  young  man  to  handle  all  the 
more  ordinary  cases,  and  has  furnished  him  with  a 
supply  of  drugs  and  sent  him  to  visit  outlying  sections 
where  he  himself  is  seldom  able  to  go. 

Dr.  W.  A.  Frymire,  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo 
Mission,  has  had  considerable  success  with  an  even 
more  elaborate  plan  of  training.  He  states  that  Congo 
young  men  can  be  readily  trained  to  care  for  ordinary 
dispensary  cases,  to  do  surgical  dressings,  to  carry 
out  laboratory  examinations,  make  microscopical 
diagnosis,  and  relieve  the  overburdened  physician  in  a 
variety  of  other  ways.     He  has  established  a  school  in 


168  Rock-Breakers 


connection  with  his  dispensary  and  hospital  work,  and 
has  a  number  of  men  under  training. 

The  medical  missionaries  of  the  General  Conference 
expressed  very  great  interest  in  the  possibility  of  com- 
batting sleeping  sickness  in  a  more  effective  way  than 
has  yet  been  done.  The  curative  treatment  when  ad- 
ministered early  in  the  disease  is  very  effective,  and 
a  large  proportion  of  cases  may  be  entirely  cured. 
But  little  has  been  accomplished,  however,  toward  the 
elimination  of  the  disease,  and  in  certain  sections  it  is 
still  on  the  increase.  Its  ravages  have  been  very 
great  in  the  past,  and  at  some  points  the  population 
has  been  greatly  reduced.  The  Government  is  making 
an  earnest  study  of  the  disease  both  in  its  laboratory 
and  sleeping-sickness  hospital  at  Leopoldville,  and 
also  through  a  mission  at  work  on  the  problem  on  the 
Kwilu  and  Kasai.  It  is  manifest,  however,  that  not 
sufficient  is  known  of  the  disease  to  point  out  effective 
prophylactic  measures  or  to  indicate  the  lines  which  a 
campaign  for  its  elimination  should  take.  The  medi- 
cal missionaries  are  prepared  to  cooperate  with  the 
Government  in  further  research  work  and  in  any  vigor- 
ous measures  which  it  may  be  deemed  wise  to  use  in 
its  combat. 


VIII 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 
AND  CONGO'S  BITTER  CRY 


"The  Congo  is  more  conclusively  than  ever  the  way  to  the 
heart  of  Africa,  and  I  pray  that  Christ's  messengers  may 
speedily  recognize  it,  and  in  no  stinted  measure  take  advantage 
of  it.  .  . 

"  Folk  at  home  are  talking  about  the  '  cost,'  and  '  missions  a 
failure.'  Some  of  us  missionaries  are  failures — that  can't  be 
gainsaid.  But  still  I  maintain  that  if  missions  are  a  failure  then 
is  Christ's  death  a  failure,  and  woe  is  me." — George  Grenfell. 


THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AND 
CONGO'S  BITTER  CRY 


The  General  Conference  of  Protestant  Missionaries 
IN  Congo 

Instructions  to  delegates : 

Each  delegates  should  bring  to  the  Conference  the  following 
items : 

Bed,  bedding,  mosquito-net 

Chair 

Wash-basin,  pitcher  (jug),  mirror,  toilet  articles 

Candle-holder  and  candles,  matches 

Water-bottle  and  glass  or  cup 

Dust-cloths 

Tub,  pail,  clothes-line,  charcoal  iron,  soap 

Lantern 

Leggings  or  mosquito-boots 

Rain-protection  articles. 

Label  all  articles  with  your  name  to  avoid  confusion. 

We  repeat  a  most  hearty  invitation  to  attend. 

The  General  Conference  of  Protestant  Missionaries 
in  Congo  met  at  Bolenge,  October  29  to  November  7, 
1921.  They  were  guests  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
Congo  Mission.  It  was  the  largest  missionary  confer- 
ence so  far  held  in  the  Congo,  103  delegates  being 
present. 

To  a  visitor  from  America,  accustomed  to  the  details 
of  American  conferences,  all  very  much  alike,  many  of 
the  features  of  the  Bolenge  Conference  were  novel  and 
interesting  in  the  extreme.     The  chairman  of  the  Con- 

171 


172  Rock-Breakers 


ference  was  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  of  the  American  Bap- 
tist Foreign  Mission  Society.  He  was  also  the  mem- 
ber of  the  Conference  who  had  served  longest  as  a 
missionary  in  Africa.  Mr.  Clark  first  came  to  the  field 
forty-one  years  ago  and  still  preserves  not  only  health 
and  vigor  but  that  impression  of  youth  which  is  the 
reflex  of  a  broad  sympathy  and  a  kindly  spirit.  In 
place  of  an  elaborate  presidential  speech  he  chose 
rather  to  ofifer  prayer  and  set  the  Conference  in  tune 
with  the  Master  from  its  earliest  hour. 

The  physical  setting  of  the  Conference  was  very  at- 
tractive. It  was  held  in  the  large  brick  church  in  the 
middle  of  the  compound,  a  commodious  and  airy  build- 
ing well  suited  to  the  purpose.  It  was  an  armchair 
conference,  which  does  not  indicate  that  its  members 
exhibited  either  sloth  or  indolence;  on  the  contrary 
the  Conference  worked  its  way  through  a  great  deal  of 
business  very  ably  and  expeditiously.  There  was  an 
armchair,  however,  for  everybody.  Both  this  and 
other  features  of  the  Conference  illustrated  admirably 
the  work  of  missions.  The  chairs  were  of  wicker, 
made  in  many  shapes  and  patterns,  and  represented 
the  work  of  the  industrial  department  of  the  Congo 
Balolo  Mission  at  Ikau.  The  delegates  had  the  privilege 
of  purchasing  the  chairs  at  the  close  of  the  Conference 
if  desired.  At  the  evening  sessions  every  member 
brought  a  lantern  to  the  meeting  and  deposited  it  by 
the  door  or  beside  his  chair.  Old  campaigners  are  not 
to  be  caught  napping,  and  a  light  would  be  very  useful 
in  the  event  that  a  leopard  or  snake  were  encountered 
upon  one  of  the  walks  of  the  compound.  After  the 
opening  of  the  Conference  Doctor  Barger,  who  was 
chairman  of  the  Arrangements  Committee,  announced 
the  nature  and  quality  of  the  water-supply.     The  hos- 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     173 

pital  sterilizer  had  been  pressed  into  service.  A  large 
tank  had  been  thoroughly  sterilized  and  was  kept  filled 
from  the  containers  of  the  sterilizer.  The  water,  after 
being  filtered  and  boiled,  was  poured  into  the  tank  at 
230  degrees.  He  gave  also  an  assurance  that  so  far  as 
human  prescience  could  foresee,  the  salads  to  be  used 
might  be  considered  free  from  the  ova  of  intestinal 
parasites.  He  then  gave  a  word  of  warning  as  to 
malaria,  stating  that  wild  animals  known  as  the 
anopheles  had  recently  been  seen  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  urged  the  use  of  the  mosquito-boot  as  a 
protection  against  them.  For  those  ignorant  of  the 
nature  of  the  latter  it  may  be  stated  that  they  are  a 
refined  form  of  the  boots  worn  by  swashbuckling 
men-at-arms  some  hundreds  of  years  ago,  sans  spurs, 
and  are  designed  to  protect  the  lower  part  of  the 
nether  extremities  from  the  marauding  attack  of  the 
mosquito.  Red  badges  were  worn  by  all  members  of 
the  entertaining  mission  (the  Disciples  of  Christ 
Congo  Mission).  It  was  explained  that  this  was  on 
the  principle  of  the  red  caps  at  railway  termini.  If 
you  have  need  of  anything  from  a  match  to  a  tin  bath, 
all  you  have  to  do  is  to  ask  the  red  badge,  and  the 
whole  force  of  the  mission  will  be  harnessed  to  your 
will. 

Other  items  of  the  arrangements  were  eloquent  of 
the  great  task  for  which  the  missions  exist.  The 
fresh  sawdust  upon  the  floor  of  the  church  spoke  of 
the  saw-mill  in  the  industrial  department  of  the  station. 
The  very  bricks  with  which  the  church  was  built  were 
dug  out  of  adjacent  clay-pits,  fashioned  by  native 
hands  and  burned  in  the  kilns  upon  the  station,  the 
whole  process  being  part  of  the  educational  system 
whereby  the  mission  is  giving  the  full  message  of  the 


174  Rock-Breakers 


Master  to  the  Congo  people.  The  neat  little  hymn- 
book,  prepared  and  printed  especially  for  Conference 
use,  was  the  product  of  the  mission  press  at  Bongan- 
danga. 

Most  of  the  food  used  at  the  Conference  came  from 
native  gardens.  Its  choiceness,  abundance,  and  variety 
M^ere  frequently  remarked  upon.  There  were  fowls, 
ducks,  goats,  lamb,  pig,  and  fish — native-raised,  all  of 
them.  There  were  sweet  potatoes,  potatoes,  manioc 
leaves,  cabbage,  beans,  okra,  squash,  carrots,  radishes, 
fipsin  (a  native  product  similar  to  celery),  lettuce, 
tomatoes,  bananas,  plantains,  mangoes,  onions,  pay- 
pay,  limes,  oranges,  grapefruit,  avocado  pears,  nsafu, 
palm-nuts,  guava,  and  peanuts,  all  the  products  of 
native  gardens.  To  the  missionaries  who  knew  the 
arduous  process  by  which  many  of  these  fruits  and 
vegetables  had  been  introduced,  the  whole  menu  was 
reminiscent  of  agricultural  missionary  education. 

There  were  other  features  of  unusual  missionary  in- 
terest. The  mission  steamers,  Grenfell,  Oregon,  and 
Lapsley,  tied  up  at  the  river  bank,  upon  which  many 
of  the  delegates  had  come,  call  to  mind  whole  chapters 
of  missionary  history.  One  of  the  delegates  brought 
by  the  Lapsley  had  been  on  the  way  two  months  and  a 
half.  This  was  Rev.  E.  I.  Everett,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Congo  Mission  (North),  from  the  far-off 
Katangas  region. 

The  Conference  worked  steadily  from  6.15  a.  m., 
with  intervals  for  meals,  until  about  4.30  in  the  after- 
noon, when  there  was  an  hour  given  to  recreation 
before  the  evening  meal.  It  was  good  to  see  the  in- 
tense missionaries  relax  the  strain  of  their  ordinary 
routine  to  join  in  a  lively  game  of  volley-ball.  This 
was  one  of  the  features  of  the  Conference,  and  to  men 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     175 

who  had  been  isolated  from  their  fellows  for  months 
and  years,  the  opportunity  of  joining  in  such  a  game 
meant  a  taste  of  fellowship  rare  to  them  and  corre- 
spondingly precious. 

Great  questions  were  raised  in  the  Conference  ses- 
sions. Little  or  no  time  was  wasted  in  desultory  and 
aimless  discussion.  The  Conference  was  remarkable 
for  the  manner  in  which  it  kept  to  the  point  at  issue 
and  attended  to  business.  Consequently  real  advance 
was  achieved.  Another  very  gratifying  feature  was 
the  unity  of  opinion  which  prevailed.  It  was  not  the 
unity  of  careless  indifiference  which  cares  too  little 
for  the  issue  to  express  a  varying  opinion.  Strong 
views  were  presented,  but  the  Conference  was  dealing 
with  very  practical  questions.  Each  missionary  had 
gained  experience  with  the  subjects  in  hand,  upon  his 
own  field  and  in  his  own  way,  and  it  was  discovered,  as 
views  were  exchanged  and  notes  compared,  that  the 
different  members,  no  matter  how  widely  separated 
their  fields,  were  very  close  together  in  sentiment. 

The  Conference  had  the  advantage  of  the  findings 
of  the  Congo  Conference  held  in  New  York  City  the 
previous  January  as  well  as  those  of  the  London 
Conference  of  April  15  for  its  guidance.  Each  subject 
was  presented  in  a  well-thought-out  paper,  and  after 
free  discussion  the  matter  in  hand  was  committed  to  a 
Committee  on  Findings,  practically  identical  in  per- 
sonnel with  the  Continuation  Committee  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  for  the  purpose  of  formulating  the 
views  of  the  Conference  as  brought  out  in  the  papers 
and  discussions. 

The  Conference  dealt  with  a  great  variety  of  sub- 
jects. It  would  be  impossible  here  to  detail  every 
action  taken,  nor  is  it  needful,  especially  as  reference 


176  Rock-Breakers 


has  already  been  made  in  previous  pages  to  many  of 
the  subjects  under  discussion.  The  principal  points 
of  which  mention  should  here  be  made  are  as  follows : 

The  Literature  Committee  had  some  very  interest- 
ing and  important  questions  with  which  to  grapple. 
Both  the  New  York  and  London  Conferences  had  ex- 
pressed an  earnest  desire  that  the  General  Conference 
should  take  steps  toward  the  systematic  development 
of  a  literature  such  as  is  needed  in  the  work  of  the 
various  missions.  It  was  hoped  that  much  of  this 
literature  could  be  cooperatively  prepared  and  pro- 
duced, thus  covering  the  field  more  promptly  and  mak- 
ing all  material  of  a  suitable  character  available  for  all. 

In  order  to  gain  information  as  to  the  actual  situa- 
tion in  respect  to  the  literature  now  available  in  Congo 
languages,  the  Committee  undertook  a  survey  of  the 
field.  Copies  of  a  large  number  of  books  now  in 
existence  were  brought  together  in  an  exhibit  at  the 
Conference,  and  proved  of  interest  to  all.  When  the 
survey  was  as  complete  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it, 
however,  it  was  discovered  that  the  list  was  pitifully 
small,  and  there  were  serious  shortages  in  respect  to 
books  constantly  found  necessary  by  missionaries  in 
the  course  of  the  work. 

In  order  that  some  sort  of  a  conclusion  should  be 
reached  as  to  the  description  and  variety  of  books 
which  any  given  mission  would  require  to  carry  on  its 
work,  it  was  decided  to  prepare  an  ideal  list  of  books 
which  might  be  considered  essential  to  the  adequate 
prosecution  of  evangelistic  and  educational  work 
among  any  Congo  people.  It  was  recognized  that  the 
work  of  the  various  missions  among  the  numerous 
African  tribes  has  so  many  characteristics  which  are 
common  to  all  that  a  list  suited  to  one  work  would 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     177 

come  very  close  to  being  suitable  for  all.  The  Com- 
mittee, after  very  careful  consideration,  compiled  the 
following  list  of  books  which  ought  to  be  made  avail- 
able for  all  Congo  tribes.  It  is  taken  for  granted,  of 
course,  that  the  Bible  and  hymn-book  are  needed  by  all. 

First  Reader  (Between  Primer  and  Scriptures) 

Commercial  Geography 

Arithmetic  (Using  French  and  figures) 

Tropical  Hygiene 

Physiology 

Agriculture 

African  History 

Church  History 

Belgian  History  and  Heroes 

Native  Grammar  (Vernacular) 

Technical  books  on  industries  practicable  in  Africa 

Blue-prints  of  Industrial  Drawings 

Music  Book  (Tonic-Sol-Fa  System) 

"  Pilgrim's  Progress  " 

"  ^sop's  Fables  " 

Native  Stories 

Biographical  Sketches  of  African  Christians 

Elementary  Civics,  Belgian  Congo 

Manual  for  New  Missionaries 

Boy  Scout  Guides 

Physical  Exercise,  Drills,  and  Games 

School  Management. 

Having  prepared  a  list  of  books  considered  desirable 
for  use  in  the  work  of  the  various  missions,  it  was 
decided  that  the  work  of  producing  them  should  be 
suitably  allocated  so  as  to  avoid  waste  labor  through 
overlapping.     It   was    recommended    that    all    manu- 


178  Rock-Breakers 


scripts  be  prepared  in  English  or  French,  and  that  all 
suitable  books  should  be  printed  bilingually,  French 
on  the  one  page  and  the  native  language  opposite  to  it. 
Books  may  thus  be  produced  in  large  quantities,  the 
same  French  plates  sufficing  for  all,  each  mission  add- 
ing upon  the  blank  pages  a  translation  of  the  text  into 
the  language  in  use  by  it.  Where  several  missions 
are  using  the  same  language  they  will  cooperate  in 
producing  a  joint  edition  of  the  book  in  question. 

A  discussion  of  cooperative  measures  followed  upon 
the  reading  of  an  excellent  paper  upon  the  "  Growth  of 
Missionary  Cooperation,"  by  Rev.  H.  Ross  Phillips, 
the  Field  Secretary  of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society. 
Besides  the  Kongo  Evangelical  Training  Institute,  a 
very  important  piece  of  cooperative  work  has  been 
entered  into  in  the  plan  for  the  establishment  of  a 
joint  missionary  hostel  at  Kinshasa.  For  many  years 
the  need  for  a  suitable  place  for  the  accommodation 
of  missionaries  passing  through  Kinshasa  has  been 
keenly  felt.  This  city  has  grown  steadily  in  impor- 
tance. It  is  not  only  the  practical  terminus  of  the 
railway  line  from  Matadi,  but  also  the  point  of  trans- 
shipment for  all  goods  going  to  points  on  the  upper 
river  or  on  the  Kasai.  All  missionaries  except  those 
located  in  lower  Congo  find  it  necessary  to  remain  at 
Kinshasa  for  periods  varying  from  a  day  to  one  or 
more  weeks.  The  hotels  in  the  city  are  not  only 
expensive  but  are  unsuitable  in  other  ways  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  missionaries.  The  plan  was 
therefore  conceived  of  erecting  a  missionary  home 
where  those  passing  through  Kinshasa  may  receive 
lodging  and  entertainment  of  a  suitable  character. 
The  plan  at  once  met  with  the  approval  of  the  societies 
more  particularly   interested.     Articles  of  agreement 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     179 

have  been  signed,  and  building  operations  are  about 
to  commence. 

The  societies  included  in  the  enterprise  are  the 
American  Presbyterian  Congo  Mission,  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society  of  England,  the  Congo  Balolo 
Mission,  the  Disciples  of  Christ  Congo  Mission,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Congo  Mission  (South),  and  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society.  Each 
society  contributes  an  equal  sum  to  the  expense  of 
erecting  the  buildings.  The  Baptist  Missionary  So- 
ciety has  very  generously  placed  at  the  disposition  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  for  a  nominal  rental  a  piece  of 
land  forming  part  of  their  own  mission  compound  at 
Kinshasa,  which  will  serve  as  an  admirable  site  for 
the  proposed  buildings.  Mr.  H.  M.  Whiteside,  of  the 
Congo  Balolo  Mission,  who  has  had  many  years  of 
experience  in  the  construction  of  buildings  in  the 
Congo,  has  undertaken  the  erection  of  the  plant.  It 
is  understood  that  the  hostel  will  gladly  welcome  as 
its  guests  on  appropriate  terms  not  only  the  mission- 
aries of  the  societies  projecting  the  enterprise  but  also 
missionaries  of  all  societies  who  may  be  passing 
through  Kinshasa.  The  title  chosen  for  the  institu- 
tion is  Union  Mission  House.  Rev.  H.  Ross  Phillips, 
of  the  Baptist  Mission  Society,  is  the  chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  and  Rev.  Emory  Ross,  of  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  Congo  Mission,  the  Secretary-treasurer. 
British  and  American  missions  join  in  the  project. 

As  an  outgrowth  of  the  discussions  held  in  connection 
with  Mr.  Phillips'  paper  on  missionary  cooperation,  it 
was  felt  that  a  hostel  similar  to  the  one  now  to  be 
erected  at  Kinshasa  was  sorely  needed  at  Matadi,  and 
recommendation  was  made  by  the  Conference  that  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Kinshasa  hostel  prepare  plans 


180  Rock-Breakers 


for  a  hostel  at  Matadi  and  submit  them  to  the  missions 
concerned. 

Another  matter  under  this  heading  which  was  dis- 
cussed with  great  interest,  was  the  situation  at  Stanley 
Pool  as  respects  the  physical,  moral,  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  both  the  white  and  black  population.  Resolu- 
tions were  adopted 

supporting  the  proposition  that  in  addition  to  the  proposed  Union 
Hostel  at  Kinshasa  there  should  be  at  suitable  locations  an  effort 
to  offer  a  counter-attraction  to  the  drinking-saloons  by  means  of 
temperance  refreshments,  educational  lectures,  concerts,  reading- 
rooms,  quiet  rooms,  and  games. 

That,  although  on  account  of  the  great  expense  it  seems 
scarcely  practicable  to  begin  such  work  among  the  white  popula- 
tion, it  is  strongly  urged  that  it  should  be  begun  at  once  among 
the  native  population. 

That  the  Congo  Continuation  Committee  be  authorized  to 
ascertain  with  the  least  possible  delay  the  attitude  of  other 
Societies  in  joining  with  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Amission  Society  in  such  an  inter- 
mission movement  because  of  the  heterogeneous  and  intermission 
character  of  the  population  at  the  Pool. 

The  actions  of  the  Conference  in  respect  to  the 
further  development  of  educational  and  medical  plans 
have  been  spoken  of  fully  in  the  chapters  dealing  with 
those  phases  of  the  work.  Another  subject,  however, 
which  aroused  very  great  interest  was  the  matter  of 
State  adoption  of  official  languages  for  the  Congo. 

It  is  of  course  apparent  that  French  is  the  language 
of  most  importance  from  an  official  standpoint.  Being 
the  language  of  the  governing  country,  it  is  in  use  by  all 
government  officials.  The  dominant  commercial  in- 
terests, whether  Belgian  or  not,  have  found  it  wise  to 
employ  French-speaking  workers  or  to  encourage  their 
employees  to  acquire  the  language.     A  fair  proportion 


CHAIR  AND  SCEPTER 
of  Bakongo  Chief 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     181 

of  the  present  missionary  staff  speaks  French,  but  the 
matter  has  assumed  such  importance  that  the  societies 
are  insisting  that  all  new  missionaries  become  familiar 
with  the  language. 

It  is  manifest,  however,  that  only  a  very  small  pro- 
portion of  the  native  population  will  ever  learn  to 
speak  French.  The  language  is  totally  alien  to  their 
own  speech,  and  their  state  of  culture  is  not  such  as 
to  lead  one  to  expect  very  many  of  them  to  attain  a 
European  tongue. 

The  difficulty  lies  in  the  large  number  of  tribes  and 
the  diversity  of  languages  spoken  by  the  Congolese 
peoples.  Though  for  the  most  part  Bantu  in  origin, 
these  languages  differ  very  greatly  in  vocabulary  and 
somewhat  in  construction.  Mr.  W.  J.  W.  Roome,  whose 
opportunities  for  the  study  of  the  subject  have  been 
unusual,  states  that  there  are  in  the  whole  of  Africa 
about  3,000  tribes.  These  are  main  divisions  only.  In 
Equatorial  Africa  there  are  not  less  than  2,500  tribes. 
One  hundred  and  fifty-three  have  already  been  located 
in  Congo,  and  there  may  be  as  many  as  150  more ;  cer- 
tainly not  less  than  200  in  all.  The  diversity  of  lin- 
guistic elements,  therefore,  is  very  great,  and  not  only 
the  missions  but  the  State  has  felt  the  very  great  need 
of  a  lingua  franca  which  should  serve  as  a  means  of 
intertribal  communication  and  should  also  enable  the 
outsider  to  communicate  with  the  various  peoples 
without  the  necessity  of  acquiring  the  language  of 
each. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  now  in  existence 
several  languages  which  partake  of  the  characteristics 
of  a  lingua  franca,  any  of  which  might  be  so  developed 
as  to  serve  an  area  of  fair  size.  The  question  at  issue 
is  which  of  these  languages  should  be  used. 

N 


182  Rock-Breakers 


Kiswahili,  which  is  a  Congo  variation  of  the  Bantu 
tongue  known  as  Swahili,  is  used  very  broadly  as  a 
common  language  throughout  South  and  Central 
Africa.  It  is  in  very  common  use  throughout  the 
eastern  part  of  Congo  extending  from  Elizabethville 
to  Stanley  Falls.  It  has  the  advantage  of  a  very  broad 
literature  already  in  existence  which  has  been  created 
by  the  older  missions  working  in  south  and  east  Cen- 
tral Africa. 

Lingala  is  based  upon  the  Bangala  tongue  of  upper 
Congo  and  is  already  the  common  river  parlance  from 
Stanleyville  to  Kinshasa.  There  are  actually  four 
types  of  this  language  in  use.  It  is  said  to  be  quite 
poverty-stricken  in  vocabulary,  and  one  word  or  ex- 
pression frequently  has  to  do  duty  to  convey  many 
different  meanings.  It  is  claimed  by  those  who  advocate 
the  use  of  this  language  as  a  lingua  franca  for  the  Congo, 
that  joint  effort  upon  the  part  of  the  missionaries  would 
soon  develop  a  fairly  rich  and  flexible  tongue. 

Bula  Matadi  is  merely  a  corruption  of  the  Kikongo 
language  of  lower  Congo.  While  it  is  commonly  spoken 
along  the  railway  from  Matadi  to  Kinshasa,  it  is  not 
seriously  proposed  as  a  common  language.  A  corrup- 
tion of  Baluba  is  similarly  used  on  the  Kasai. 

The  final  action  taken  by  the  Conference  was 

That  the  Continuation  Committee,  augmented  by  such  repre- 
sentatives as  shall  be  chosen  by  the  various  missions,  make  a 
thorough  study  of  the  subject  and  if  possible  recommend  to  the 
Government  the  adoption  of  one  lingua  franca  for  the  entire 
Colony. 

A  somewhat  detailed  description  of  this  Conference 
and  its  actions  has  been  given  inasmuch  as  it  sums 
up  the  present  status  of  evangelical  mission  work  in 
the  Congo,  especially  of  the  advance  in  the  direction 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     183 

of  cooperation.  Rev.  Emory  Ross  writes,  *'  It  was  a 
Conference  that  will  be  quoted  and  referred  to  many 
a  time  in  the  years  to  come  in  Congo." 

Effort  has  been  made  in  the  previous  pages  to 
present,  albeit  in  very  fragmentary  and  incomplete 
fashion,  a  picture  of  little  Belgium's  great  Colony  and 
the  remarkable  work  for  God  which  is  being  carried 
on  among  the  belated  peoples  of  the  Colony  and  ad- 
jacent areas.  Perhaps  sufficient  has  been  said  to  indi- 
cate the  appalling  darkness  which  still  exists,  the  very 
great  need  of  the  people,  physical,  mental,  and  spiri- 
tual, the  marvelous  response  which  is  met  upon  every 
side,  and  the  hope  which  lies  in  the  future  that  Congo 
may  yet  become  Christian  in  very  deed,  as  Uganda  is 
Christian  and  as  many  another  dark  and  terrible  area 
of  the  world's  surface  has  been  enlightened,  sweetened, 
blessed,  and  uplifted  by  the  earnest  service  of  God's 
children. 

There  remains  to  present  America's  obligation  to 
continue  the  work  begun  with  such  heroism  and  deter- 
mination. Congo  still  has  need  of  every  blessing 
which  America  can  supply.  We  have  had  vast  experi- 
ence in  dealing  with  the  colored  race,  men  and  women 
of  the  very  same  type  as  the  Congolese  since  their  pro- 
genitors were  identical,  and  with  all  America's  woful 
mistakes  and  follies  in  dealing  with  the  black  man, 
still  some  progress  has  been  made  in  helping  him 
toward  God  and  the  light.  America  has  vast  stores 
of  wisdom  in  the  knowledge  of  the  secrets  of  modern 
medicine,  agriculture,  industry,  and  education.  Congo 
has  need  of  all  of  these.  There  are  capacities  latent 
in  its  sons  and  daughters  which  only  wait  the  brotherly 
and  fostering  care  of  America's  wisdom  to  cause  them 
to  bud  and  blossom.     America  has  material  posses- 


184  Rock-Breakers 


sions  undiminished  by  the  world's  war.  Congo  has 
need  only  of  that  initial  aid  in  material  things  which 
will  enable  her  to  help  herself.  America's  wealth,  or 
a  very  little  of  it,  may  well  be  used  to  set  Congo  on 
the  highway  of  higher  development.  America  has  re- 
sources in  manhood  and  womanhood,  clean  and  fair, 
well  born  and  well  grown,  untrammeled  by  untold 
ages  of  debauching  and  degenerating  superstition. 
Congo's  manhood  and  womanhood  are  only  now  be- 
ginning to  shake  themselves  free  from  the  shackles 
of  cannibalism,  slavery,  witchcraft,  and  polygamy. 
Surely  Congo's  little  blind  children  groping  in  the 
dark  for  better  things  are  entitled  to  the  strong  hand- 
clasp of  America's  vigorous  and  cultured  young  men 
and  young  women. 

The  present  is  the  time  of  all  times  to  help  Belgium 
in  caring  for  the  Congo.  She  is  trying  to  help  herself. 
King  Albert  has  had  Congo  upon  his  heart  ever  since 
his  memorable  visit  to  the  Colony  ten  years  or  more 
ago.  He  was  then  Prince  Albert.  His  uncle,  King 
Leopold,  perhaps  for  obvious  reasons,  was  not  espe- 
cially anxious  for  him  to  take  the  journey  to  the  great 
Colony.  But  the  Prince  decided  to  see  the  country 
for  himself  and  to  see  it  thoroughly.  The  journey  in 
itself  was  fascinating  and  bound  to  prove  full  of  inter- 
est. The  Prince  gave  such  time  as  was  necessary,  and 
whatever  a  prince  may  be  expected  to  see  both  of  sur- 
face and  subsurface  conditions,  Albert  saw.  It  may 
be  suspected,  indeed,  that  he  saw  considerably  more 
than  some  princely  eyes  might  have  discerned  in  the 
situation,  and  during  the  leisure  of  the  homeward 
journey  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  soliloquized  thus 
within  his  princely  soul,  "  Perhaps  I  am  coming  to 
the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  and  such  a  task  as  this." 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     185 

The  interim  of  the  terrible  war  during  which  all 
but  a  fragment  of  little  Belgium  lay  under  the  iron 
heel  of  the  invader  did  not  wholly  put  a  stop  to  the 
development  of  Albert's  plans  for  the  advancement  of 
the  great  Colony,  and  when  the  King  of  the  Belgians 
came  into  his  own  again  they  were  taken  up  with 
renewed  interest. 

The  First  National  Belgian  Colonial  Congress  was 
held  in  the  Senate  Rooms  in  Brussels,  December  18 
to  20,  1920.  At  the  opening  of  the  Congress,  King 
Albert  declared : 

The  Belgian  nation  herself  is  now  empowered  with  complete 
sovereignty  on  the  Congo,  and  assumes  before  the  whole  world 
the  responsibility  for  the  development  of  the  Colony.  Coloniza- 
tion is  one  of  the  highest  functions  of  societies  arrived  at  an 
advanced  stage  of  civilization.  But  there  are  no  functions  with- 
out duties,  and  the  first  of  all  is  the  mission  of  the  motherland 
to  emancipate  the  primitive  races.  One  can  not  deny  that  those 
races  were  often  sacrificed  at  the  beginning  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion. Those  then  at  the  center  had  exclusively  in  view  their  own 
selfish  interest.  For  the  honor  of  humanity  I  am  glad  to  state 
that  the  progress  of  moral  and  political  ideas,  and  a  truer  appre- 
hension of  the  interests  of  both  parties  concerned,  have  modified 
the  theory  and  the  practical  methods  of  civilization. 

Congo  bulks  large  in  the  thinking  of  the  Belgians. 
Well  may  it  be  so.  It  is  more  than  eighty  times  as 
large,  in  point  of  territory,  as  the  mother  country.  It 
stands  for  glamor  and  romance  and  tropical  foliage. 
It  spells  adventure  and  novelty  and  possible  riches. 
And  with  all  there  is  the  underlying  fear  which  com- 
pels respect.  Under  King  Albert  some  of  the  best  of 
Belgium's  sons  are  giving  themselves  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Colony.  The  Compagnie  Beige  Maritime 
du  Congo  is  building  up  a  foreign  passenger  service. 
Two  well-built,  modern  steamers,  the  Albertville  and 


186  Rock-Breakers 


the  Anversville,  are  in  commission.  The  first  was 
built  at  Glasgow.  But  national  sentiment  led  to  the 
building  of  the  second  at  Hoboken,  Belgium.  It  is 
modeled  upon  the  original  Scotch  vessel.  A  third,  the 
Elizabethville,  will  be  launched  shortly.  Formerly  all 
the  officers  and  a  large  part  of  the  crew  were  British 
or  Scotch,  but  Belgian  officers  have  now  been  trained 
for  all  the  places  except  in  the  engineering  department. 
King  Albert  is  a  good  Catholic  and  did  not  fail  with 
Queen  Elizabeth  to  attend  mass  while  on  his  journey ; 
but  that  he  is  not  unappreciative  of  the  evangelical 
standpoint  is  manifested  by  the  cordial  respect  in 
which  he  holds  Protestant  missions  and  the  efforts  he 
is  putting  forth  to  give  them  every  opportunity  to 
carry  on  their  work.  He  is  of  course  especially  inter- 
ested in  those  phases  of  the  work  which  have  to  do 
with  the  social  and  industrial  development  of  the 
natives.  Two  members  of  Protestant  missions,  Rev. 
H.  Ross  Phillips,  representing  the  English  societies, 
and  Rev.  H.  F.  Hensey,  representing  the  American 
societies,  serve  upon  the  important  government  Com- 
mission for  the  Protection  of  the  Natives.  This  Com- 
mission, at  the  request  of  the  Government,  has  recently 
made  a  careful  study  of  the  reasons  for  the  serious 
reduction  in  the  population  and  has  recommended  im- 
portant and  radical  measures  to  remove  the  causes. 

The  appointment  of  the  present  Colonial  Minister, 
M.  Louis  Franck,  is  an  indication  of  the  King's  earnest 
desire  to  give  his  sentiments  as  expressed  in  the  pas- 
sage quoted  concrete  fulfilment.  M.  Franck  is  a 
broad-minded  and  enlightened  thinker.  He  keeps 
abreast  of  the  best  movement  in  modern  colonial  ad- 
ministration, and  much  may  be  expected  from  his 
leadership.      At   the   National   Colonial    Congress   M. 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     187 

Franck  followed  the  King's  address  with  the  following 
statement: 

Belgium  has  in  Africa  heavy  responsibilities  and  she  must 
accept  them.  In  the  Congo  we  want  not  so  much  laws  and  regu- 
lations as  men  of  the  highest  type.  Each  man  we  send  there  is 
entrusted  with  a  mission. 

He  called  especially  for  new  state  doctors  who  will 
enter  their  task  not  as  a  profession,  but  as  an  honor 
and  a  mission. 

The  appointment  of  the  new  Governor  General,  M. 
Maurice  Lippens,  is  in  entire  accord  with  this  view- 
point, M.  Lippens  was  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Ghent. 
He  has  a  perfect  command  of  English,  is  a  democrat 
and  a  student  of  progressive  government  in  England 
and  America.  His  metal  was  shown  in  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  Province  of  Flanders  as  Governor. 
Here  he  succeeded  in  persuading  both  clerical  and 
social  parties  to  join  in  progressive  measures,  and  so 
impressed  King  Albert  with  his  ability  along  this  line 
that  the  latter  practically  insisted  that  he  should  under- 
take the  more  important  task  of  governing  the  nation's 
great  colony.  Three  times  Governor  Lippens  refused 
the  honor,  and  finally  accepted  only  upon  condition 
that  he  should  have  a  free  hand  in  making  such 
reforms  as  the  situation  seemed  to  demand. 

Governor  Lippens  showed  his  practical  wisdom  by 
entering  his  new  domain  by  the  back  door.  Making 
the  long  journey  northward  from  the  Cape  by  the 
Cape  to  Cairo  Railroad,  he  entered  Congo  Beige  at 
Elizabethville,  and  made  a  leisurely  survey  of  the 
whole  field,  reaching  the  administrative  seat,  Boma, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Congo,  only  after  having  familiar- 
ized  himself   with   conditions   throughout   the   entire 


188  Rock-Breakers 


territory.  The  writer  had  the  good  fortune  of  falling 
in  with  Governor  Lippens  while  he  was  upon  this 
journey.  We  had  descended  the  Kwilu  on  our  way  to 
the  Conference  at  Bolenge,  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Leslie 
and  I,  and  had  just  arrived  at  Kwamouth,  which  is  the 
junction  with  the  main  river.  Here  it  was  necessary 
for  us  to  change  boats  and  secure  a  vessel  going  up 
the  river.  No  boat  immediately  appearing,  we  were 
forced  to  wait  at  Kwamouth  upward  of  two  days.  We 
found,  however,  that  the  Governor's  own  boat,  the 
Count  de  Brabant,  was  tied  up  at  the  dock ;  indeed  we 
were  made  aware  of  it  by  a  tall  six  feet  two  inches 
individual  with  a  white-haired  companion  of  distin- 
guished appearance  boarding  our  boat,  the  Bangui, 
immediately  upon  our  arrival,  and  making  inquiries 
for  us.  Surely  nothing  could  be  further  from  the  frigid 
demeanor  of  the  ordinary  government  dignitary.  But 
this  was  the  Governor,  and  this  is  his  way.  All  up 
and  down  the  river  he  had  been  dropping  in  unexpect- 
edly upon  people,  discovering  for  himself  the  situation 
in  its  every-day  appearance,  striking  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  evil-doers,  and  bringing  no  small  comfort 
to  those  who  hoped  for  the  good  of  the  Congo.  He 
was  kind  enough  to  ofifer  to  entertain  us  aboard  the 
Brabant  while  we  were  in  Kwamouth,  and  we  were 
glad  to  accept  his  hospitality  to  the  extent  of  lunching 
and  dining  with  him.  Also  he  asked  us  to  join  his 
party  in  an  elephant  hunt  the  following  morning, 
which  I  at  least  was  glad  to  do.  The  opportunity  of 
talking  with  the  Governor  unhurriedly  upon  the  im- 
portant problems  of  the  Congo  was  one  which  we 
greatly  prized,  and  we  came  away  with  hearts  greatly 
lightened  in  the  assurance  that  the  new  chief  executive 
of   the   Colony   might   be   relied   upon   to   administer 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     189 

justice  with  a  stern  hand,  to  hold  his  officials  to  a  high 
standard  of  moral  rectitude,  and  to  support  every 
effort  for  the  help  and  uplift  of  the  people. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  Belgium  the 
Catholic  faith  is  overwhelmingly  predominant.  It  is 
of  comparatively  recent  date,  therefore,,  that  the  evan- 
gelical Christians  of  Belgium  have  gathered  sufficient 
strength  to  attack  the  problem  of  evangelizing  the 
Congo.  Before  the  war  they  were  giving  considera- 
tion to  the  establishment  of  a  mission  as  soon  as  cir- 
cumstances permitted.  Following  the  conquest  of 
German  East  Africa  the  suzerainty  of  the  newly  con- 
quered territory  was  for  a  time  in  dispute  between 
Belgium  and  England,  both  of  which  had  taken  a 
substantial  part  in  wresting  the  colony  from  the  Ger- 
mans. The  question  was  finally  settled  both  amicably 
and  happily  by  England  agreeing  to  Belgium  being 
given  a  mandate  over  the  rich  provinces  of  Urundi  and 
Ruanda.  These  He  immediately  to  the  east  of  Congo 
Beige,  skirting  the  shores  of  Lake  Tanganyika.  They 
are  plentifully  supplied  with  cattle  and  will  do  much 
to  help  in  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  a  food  supply 
for  the  adjacent  provinces  of  Congo  Beige. 

The  call  to  the  recently  won  fields  has  proved  irre- 
sistible to  Belgian  Protestants,  and  they  have  accepted 
from  the  Belgian  Government  responsibility  for  the 
work  formerly  carried  on  in  these  territories  by  Ger- 
man Protestants. 

Congo's  cry  of  bitter  need,  however,  had  reached 
evangelical  ears  long  before  Belgian  Protestants  had 
gathered  sufficient  strength  to  enter  the  work.  Stan- 
ley's work  of  exploration  aroused  both  England  and 
America  to  their  obligation  to  listen  to  this  cry,  and 
together  they  joined  in  the  task  of  carrying  the  mes- 


190  Rock-Breakers 


sage  of  Christ  to  Africa's  heart  by  way  of  the  Congo's 
intricate  channels. 

That  task  is  unfinished.  Moreover,  a  new  day  has 
dawned  in  Congo.  Belgium  is  showing  a  determina- 
tion to  bring  the  colony  abreast  of  modern  develop- 
ment in  commerce  and  government.  Belgium  can  pro- 
vide able  leaders  in  these  departments,  but  Belgium 
cannot  furnish  men  of  simple  faith,  evangelical  fervor, 
and  Christian  vision  in  sufficient  numbers  to  create  a 
substructure  of  moral  integrity  and  spiritual  insight 
capable  of  bearing  the  weight  of  modern  development 
in  other  lines. 

Before  Belgium  had  assumed  governmental  respon- 
sibility for  the  great  wild  territory,  even  before  the 
fertile  imagination  of  King  Leopold  had  been  stirred 
with  the  acquisitive  vision  of  Congo's  possibilities, 
God  had  laid  upon  the  hearts  of  evangelical  Christians 
in  England  and  America  the  responsibility  for  the 
spiritual  tutelage  of  the  children  of  the  forests  and  the 
jungles.  Four  decades  of  service  have  been  given, 
wresting  from  the  midst  of  an  almost  unimaginable 
degradation  a  spiritual  harvest  which  is  the  wonder 
of  the  Christian  world ;  but  a  new  danger  confronts 
Congo,  the  danger  that  with  the  more  rapid  influx  of 
civilized  men  and  methods  there  shall  be  added  to  the 
vices  native  to  the  country  the  vices  of  civilization. 
The  Christian  churches  of  England  and  America 
should  parallel  every  advance  which  Belgium  makes 
in  government  and  commerce  with  a  forward  step  in 
evangelization. 

Moreover,  it  should  not  be  overlooked  that  great 
English  and  American  commercial  and  industrial  in- 
terests are  sending  wide-awake,  vigorous  young  men 
into  Congo  Beige ;  the  Lever  interests  for  exploitation 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     191 

of  the  palm-oil  industry  and  the  Forminiere  Company, 
which  has  enlisted  American  capital,  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mines  in  the  Katangas.  Where  America 
sends  its  young  men  to  undertake  commercial  and 
engineering  tasks,  there  the  church  must  send  also  its 
young  men  and  women  for  kingdom  tasks. 

What  sort  of  men  and  women  are  needed  for  the 
Congo?  The  qualities  demanded  are  those  required 
for  missionary  work  anywhere.  The  missionary 
should  have  first  of  all  a  faith  deep-rooted  in  the  heart 
of  the  Eternal.  He  must  be  no  novice  in  the  Christian 
life,  but  one  who  by  years  of  Christian  experience  and 
faithful  service  in  this  cotmtry  has  come  to  that  sted- 
fast  basis  of  confidence  in  the  presence  and  leadership 
of  Christ  which  will  enable  him  to  undertake  difficult 
enterprises  with  the  quiet  assurance  of  God's  aid.  He 
should  have  sound  physical  health.  This  does  not 
mean  that  he  must  needs  be  an  athlete  or  a  gymnast. 
As  a  tropical  mission  field  Congo  is  not  especially  tax- 
ing, and  many  a  missionary  apparently  far  from 
rugged  in  point  of  health  has  lived  and  labored  there 
for  years.  The  two  points  of  importance  concerning 
which  the  candidate  should  reassure  himself  are  that 
he  is  organically  sound  and  that  he  has  no  idiosyncrasy 
against  heat. 

His  mental  make-up  should  be  sanely  balanced. 
Perhaps  the  most  valuable  trait  of  all  upon  the  foreign 
mission  field  is  what  is  known  as  sound  common  sense. 
The  ability  to  weigh  circumstances  and  make  wise 
decisions  is  a  faculty  well-nigh  indispensable  to  the 
missionary. 

He  should  have  a  temperament  which  will  permit 
him  to  live  and  labor  with  his  brothers,  both  white 
and  black,  in  cordial  harmony  no  matter  how  widely 


192  Rock-Breakers 

his  judgment  may  differ  from  theirs  in  matters  of 
mission  policy.  It  is  an  absolutely  fatal  defect  in  a 
missionary  to  permit  differences  of  opinion  which 
must  inevitably  arise  in  the  course  of  the  work  to 
separate  him  in  spirit  from  his  brothers. 

A  spirit  of  forbearance  and  self-control  is  a  positive 
necessity  in  Christian  service.  There  is  no  spectacle 
so  unedifying,  nor  any  tragedy  so  heart-rending  as 
that  of  the  able,  well-equipped  missionary  allowing  the 
values  of  earnest  and  energetic  service  to  be  nullified 
or  destroyed  by  inability  to  control  an  irritable  or 
choleric  temperament  in  dealing  with  missionaries  or 
natives.  Irritability,  anger,  the  critical  spirit,  must  be 
brought  under  the  control  of  Christ  or  the  life  fails  to 
accomplish  its  end. 

The  mental  equipment  of  the  missionary  must  be 
adequate  for  his  task.  It  is  God's  money  which  is 
used  to  send  men  and  women  thousands  of  miles  over 
sea  and  land  with  the  gospel  message.  We  are  in  an 
exacting  age,  when  life  demands  much  of  the  indi- 
vidual. The  untrained  worker  achieves  but  little  suc- 
cess in  any  sphere  of  life.  American  life  is  so  organ- 
ized that  young  men  or  women  of  ability  can  secure 
adequate  training  along  any  line  if  they  will.  The 
missionary  societies  are  under  obligation  to  use  God's 
money  wisely  and  well.  This  means  the  sending  of 
men  and  women  with  the  maximum  of  fitness  to  carry 
on  God's  work  abroad.  No  person  who  neglects  or 
refuses  to  secure  the  best  possible  training  for  the  task 
to  which  he  addresses  himself  is  worthy  to  act  as 
God's  messenger  to  a  needy  world. 

That  vigorous  type  of  manhood  which  is  exemplified 
in  our  early  Congo  heroes  is  still  needed.  There  is 
pioneer  work  to  be  done  in  many  parts  of  Congo.     But 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     193 

we  must  not  forget  that  we  are  four  decades  away 
from  the  beginnings  of  Congo's  evangelization  and 
entering  today  a  new  epoch  in  the  work.  We  need 
men  and  women  of  a  no  less  vigorous  character  who 
will  bring  specialized  faculties  to  special  tasks.  There 
is  an  imperative  call  first  of  all  for  theological  gradu- 
ates— men  who  have  prepared  themselves  thoroughly 
in  the  work  of  fishing  for  men,  founding  churches, 
organizing  evangelistic  work,  and  building  up  the 
kingdom  of  God  through  broad  territories. 

There  is  also  urgent  need  for  large  numbers  of 
trained  educationalists  who,  while  sharing  with  the 
evangelist  the  passion  for  the  souls  of  men,  are  pre- 
pared by  thorough  training  in  modern  educational 
methods  to  help  in  the  great  task  of  producing  the 
native  leaders  who  will  build  up  a  permanent  Chris- 
tianity in  Congo.  These  educationalists  should  be 
both  men  and  women.  They  should  have  had  in  addi- 
tion to  their  academic  training  experience  both  in 
teaching  and  administrative  work.  They  should  bear 
in  mind  that  they  may  be  called  to  organize  and 
supervise  a  state-wide  educational  system. 

Physicians  are  needed  in  much  greater  numbers. 
There  is  increasing  opportunity  for  well-equipped  men 
and  women  to  make  a  great  contribution  to  the  work 
of  God  in  Congo  along  medical  and  surgical  lines. 
Better  equipment  is  being  constantly  supplied.  Sur- 
gery of  the  most  modern  type  is  possible.  A  vast  field 
for  research  is  offered  by  the  many  unfamiliar  tropical 
diseases.  The  organization  of  public  sanitation  in 
large  areas  is  often  possible. 

Nurses  are  here  presented  with  a  great  field  of  ser- 
vice. Not  only  have  they  the  privilege  of  cooperating 
with  the  physician  in  every  branch  mentioned  above, 


194  Rock-Breakers 


but  the  organization  of  training-schools  for  native 
nurses  offers  them  a  satisfying  sphere  of  work. 

There  is  a  new  and  compelling  demand  for  trained 
agriculturists  in  Congo.  The  fecund  fields  and  fertile 
forests  are  a  new  kingdom  for  the  exploration  of  the 
practical  man  of  science  prepared  for  such  a  task.  The 
agriculturalist  has  before  him  the  fascinating  task  of 
revealing  Congo's  possibilities  to  its  own  sons  and 
daughters.  He  should  not  only  know  agriculture,  but 
should  also  be  prepared  to  found  experiment  stations 
and  organize  schools  for  imparting  what  he  knows  and 
the  results  of  his  further  experiments. 

The  industrialist  has  a  field  in  Congo  unsurpassed 
by  any  in  the  world.  The  Congo  native  is  a  natural 
and  very  clever  hand-worker.  He  needs  to  have  his 
natural  gifts  in  this  direction  stimulated,  trained,  and 
directed  into  such  channels  as  shall  prove  of  the  great- 
est profit  to  himself  personally,  to  the  development  of 
the  state,  and  to  the  establishment  of  a  vigorous 
Christian  church.  The  industrial  missionary  should 
not  be  merely  an  experienced  carpenter,  but  a  graduate 
of  an  engineering  school  who  has  had  special  training 
in  the  trades  and  possesses  a  practical  as  well  as 
theoretical  knowledge  of  his  subject. 

Other  classes  of  missionary  specialists  are  occasion- 
ally needed,  but  these  comprise  the  urgent  demands  of 
the  present  time. 

A  few  words  should  be  said  about  the  conditions 
under  which  the  missionary  is  to  work.  There  is  a 
prevalent  misconception  that  Congo  is  perhaps  the 
deadliest  missionary  field  in  the  world,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  many  a  man  has  been  deterred  from  under- 
taking service  in  this  field  not  because  of  any  fear 
which  he  may  have  entertained  for  himself  but  because 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     195 

he  hesitated  to  submit  those  whom  he  loved  to  condi- 
tions which  have  at  times  been  represented  as  especi- 
ally deleterious  to  the  health.  Let  it  be  said  at  once 
that  Congo  is  not  an  especially  unhealthful  field.  Its 
health  record  in  recent  decades  has  been  considerably 
better  than  mission  fields  in  other  tropical  countries. 

Congo  is  situated  in  the  tropical  zone  and  is  cut  by 
the  equator,  but  there  is  one  circumstance  commonly 
overlooked  which  greatly  mitigates  its  tropical  char- 
acter. As  has  been  pointed  out  in  Chapter  I,  the  alti- 
tude of  Congoland  increases  fairly  rapidly  after  leaving 
Matadi.  Most  of  the  mission  stations  in  lower  Congo 
are  from  500  to  2,500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
Stanley  Pool,  at  the  end  of  the  railroad,  is  about  1,000 
feet  high.  In  a  general  way,  the  farther  inland  one 
goes  the  greater  the  altitude.  Ubangi  Province  is  from 
1,500  to  2,500  feet  in  height.  The  Province  Orientale 
has  areas  more  than  3,000  feet  above  sea-level.  The 
Kasai  varies  from  1,300  to  3,000  feet.  Katanga  ranges 
even  higher.  Many  missionaries  and  travelers  have 
made  the  statement  that  they  have  suffered  more  from 
cold  in  the  Congo  than  they  ever  did  from  heat.  Mr. 
Bedinger  states  that  in  the  Kasai  there  is  an  even 
temperature,  almost  the  same  the  year  round,  varying 
from  79  to  85  degrees  in  the  shade  during  the  day  with 
invariably  cool  nights.  The  latter  very  great  advan- 
tage is  common  to  the  whole  of  Congo. 

Even  in  the  lower  Congo,  which  is  perhaps  the  most 
trying  portion  of  Congo  Beige  from  a  climatic  stand- 
point, there  is  a  cool  dry  season  lasting  four  months, 
which  compensates  in  a  measure  for  the  warmer  weather 
which  accompanies  the  rains. 

With  a  better  understanding  of  the  country  and  the 
means     for    preserving    health,    mortality    and    illness 


196  Rock-Breakers 


among  missionaries  have  steadily  decreased,  and 
opinion  is  rapidly  swinging  to  the  conviction  that  chil- 
dren can  safely  be  brought  to  most  parts  of  the  Congo. 
There  were  fourteen  children  present  at  the  Bolenge 
Conference. 

Two  points  must  be  insisted  upon  with  the  utmost 
strenuousness.  The  first  is  the  use  of  the  sun-helmet 
and  the  avoidance  of  exposure  as  much  as  possible  to 
the  powerful  rays  of  the  midday  sun.  The  second  is 
the  continued  use  of  quinine  as  a  prophylactic  measure. 
Wherever  there  are  anopheles  mosquitoes  there  is 
malaria,  and  wherever  there  is  malaria  the  missionary 
is  bound  to  be  exposed  to  it.  The  habitual  use  of 
quinine  in  small  doses  may  not  prevent  him  from 
having  an  occasional  attack  of  fever,  but  it  will  greatly 
lessen  the  frequency  and  severity  of  the  attack  and  also 
render  the  danger  of  hematuric  complications  almost 
negligible. 

The  heavy  mortality  met  with  in  the  early  days  of 
the  work  was  due  to  the  neglect  of  these  two  points 
and  the  fact  that  the  conditions  in  which  the  mission- 
ary lived  and  worked  were  very  much  less  favorable 
than  is  now  the  case. 

Congo  should  have  a  special  appeal  to  the  students 
of  America,  the  appeal  from  those  who  need  to  those 
who  have.  While  visiting  the  school  at  Kimpese  I 
took  occasion  to  speak  to  the  student  body  about  the 
great  student  army  of  America  and  told  them  some- 
thing of  the  powers  and  possibilities  of  American 
students,  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  and  the 
great  number  of  students,  both  men  and  women,  who 
are  preparing  for  life  service  in  the  broad  fields  of  the 
world.  They  asked  me  to  convey  a  message  to  the 
students  of  America  from  the  students  at  Kimpese: 


General  Conference  and  Congo's  Bitter  Cry     197 

The  students  of  Kimpcsc  send  kind  greetings  to  the  students 
of  America. 

They  desire  earnestly  that  American  students  would  give  all 
diligence  to  their  learning  in  order  that  they  may  come  to  Congo 
to  teach  j'oung  men  and  women  here. 

They  send  greetings  also  to  all  white  teachers  and  professors 
in  American  colleges  who  arc  interested  in  their  development. 

This  is  a  special  message  from  the  youth  of  Congo 
to  the  privileged  youth  of  America.  God  grant  that  it 
may  awaken  the  response  of  a  ready  willingness  in  the 
hearts  of  hundreds  of  Christian  students. 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  USE  OF  THIS  BOOK  IN 
CLASS  STUDIES  AND  PROGRAM  MEETINGS 


1.  Procure  a  map  of  Africa  which  can  be  kept  on  the 
wall  throughout  the  series  of  lessons.  The  Literature 
Department  of  the  General  Board  of  Promotion  fur- 
nishes a  good-sized  paper  map  showing  the  stations. 
The  small  map  in  the  Baptist  Survey  can  be  repro- 
duced, in  which  case  it  is  suggested  that  the  stations 
be  located  as  you  come  to  them. 

II.  To  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  size  of  this  great 
continent,  trace  on  thin  paper  from  an  atlas  of  propor- 
tionate size  outline  maps  of  Europe,  China,  India, 
Argentina,  and  the  United  States.  Cut  them  out  and 
pin  them  on  the  map  of  Africa.  The  names  of  these 
countries  printed  on  sheets  of  paper  may  be  substituted 
for  the  maps,  but  will  not  be  so  effective. 

III.  If  a  brief  course  is  desired,  follow  Doctor  Ler- 
rigo's  journey,  using  the  descriptive  matter  and  inci- 
dents, locating  the  missions  visited,  and  giving  names 
of  the  missionaries  in  the  various  stations. 

IV.  If  a  more  intensive  course  can  be  given,  the 
following  suggestions  may  prove  helpful : 

L  Trace  briefly  what  Afri^^a  stands  for  to  the  imagi- 
native youth;  to  the  student;  to  the  business  man;  to 
foreign  nations ;  to  the  missionary. 

2.  Show  why  General  Smuts  said,  "  Afrrca  has 
marched  with  great  suddenness  to  the  center  of  the 

199 


200  Rock-Breakers 


European   stage   and   must   profoundly   influence   the 
problems  of  its  statesmanship." 

This  should  bring  out  changes  which  have  come  as 
a  result  of  the  war :  economic,  territorial,  and  political. 

3.  Trace  the  beg'innings  and  development  of  Baptist 
missions  in  Africa,  with  biographies  of  leading  mis- 
sionaries. 

4.  Locate  the  places  where  the  hospitals  are  to  be 
built,  and  give  an  idea  of  the  number  of  people  to 
whom  they  will  minister. 

5.  Memorize  the  names  of  stations  and  the  mission- 
aries now  in  charge  ;  make  clear  the  types  of  work  done 
in  each  station.  Assign  different  missionaries  or  sta- 
tions to  groups  or  individuals  for  special  daily  inter- 
cession. 

Supplementary  materials  of  particular  value  in  the 
form  of  leaflets  and  pamphlets  are  issued  from  time  to 
time,  and  may  be  secured  from  the  Literature  Headquar- 
ters and  Bureaus. 

Special  attention  is  called  to 

"  Our  Work  in  the  Orient,"  W.  A.  B.  F.  M.  S. 
"  The  Guide  Book,"  A.  B.  F.  M.  S. 


Date  Due 


i 


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